SOCCER
Anwar El Ghazi suspended for Israel-Palestine social media post
The former Premier League player will not train or play for Mainz 05 after the club that his post was “unacceptable”.
Mainz 05 has announced the suspension of Anwar El Ghazi from all training and matchday activities due to a social media post related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The former Ajax and Aston Villa winger has barely featured in the Bundesliga after signing for the club last month. The 28-year-old has since deleted the original post and took to social media to clarify his stance, asking followers to “grasp the profound pain that the Palestinians have endured.”
Despite that clarification the club has subsequently issued a suspension.
A statement form Mainz read: “The decision comes as a result of a since-deleted social media post from the 28-year-old that appeared on Sunday evening. In the post, El Ghazi took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that was deemed unacceptable by the club.”
It continued: “Mainz 05 respect the fact that there are varying perspectives on the decades-long, complex conflict in the Middle East. however, the club are distancing themselves from the content of the social media post in question, as it does not align with the values of the club.”
What did Anwar El Ghazi say about Israel?
The Dutch international shared a pro-Palestine post on his Instagram story that accused Israel of using artificial intelligence to spread misinformation about the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the region. Israel would deny those claims.
In the days following his original post El Ghazi has shared a message from the English Football Association remembering “the victims of the conflict in Israel and Palestine.”
El Ghazi has not yet issued a public statement regarding Mainz’s decision to issue a suspension. The Athletic reports that player and club will hold a meeting in the coming weeks to decide what happens next.