Arsenal faces backlash over partnership with Israeli-founded firm Deel

Arsenal’s newly announced partnership with an Israeli-founded HR and payroll platform has drawn criticism from sections of the club’s fanbase and pro-Palestinian advocates.

On 12 December, Arsenal announced a multi-year agreement with Deel, naming the company its Official HR Platform Partner.

While the club has only formally confirmed the HR partnership, multiple reports indicate that Deel is set to replace Visit Rwanda as Arsenal’s shirt-sleeve sponsor for the 2026–27 season, once the existing deal expires.

The move comes after Arsenal announced last month that it would not renew its Visit Rwanda deal, which began in 2018 and was worth around £10m per year.

The partnership had been the subject of sustained criticism from supporters and human rights groups over Rwanda’s backing of the M23 militia in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A survey by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust found earlier this year that more than 90 percent of respondents supported ending the deal.

However, the announcement of Deel as a new partner has prompted a fresh backlash online.

Deel was founded in 2019 by Israeli entrepreneur Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang and is valued at $17.3bn.

Critics have pointed to Bouaziz’s public statements expressing support for Israel and Israeli reservists as well as his and his fellow executives' purchasing of clothes and supplies for Israeli soldiers, arguing that the partnership sits uneasily with the club’s stated commitments to equality and anti-racism amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

On social media, several users accused Arsenal of replacing one problematic sponsor with another. 

“Disgraceful. Dropped 'Visit Rwanda' just to pick up an Israeli company,” one supporter wrote.

Others called for boycotts of Arsenal merchandise, while some described the deal as "tone deaf" and suggested Arsenal "should be rebranding as Genocide FC”.

The criticism has also revived anger over Arsenal’s dismissal of long-serving kit man Mark Bonnick in December 2024 over pro-Palestine social media posts, with fans highlighting the club’s handling of employee activism in support of Palestinians in Gaza alongside its willingness to partner with Deel.

“This after sacking Mark Bonnick for pro-Palestine posts?” one user wrote.

“I don’t regret speaking out about Palestine.”

Speaking to Middle East Eye, Mark Bonnick, former kit man for Arsenal FC, explains how he was dismissed from the football club for speaking out for Palestine pic.twitter.com/cfGez2QXC0

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) May 20, 2025

The backlash contrasts with praise from some football business commentators, including former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, who described Deel as a “credible” company and said Arsenal should be commended for quickly replacing Visit Rwanda with a financially comparable sponsor.

In announcing the partnership, Arsenal chief commercial officer Juliet Slot said Deel’s “global platform matches the scale of our ambition and operations", while Bouaziz said the deal marked a milestone in the company’s global expansion.

Arsenal was contacted for comment regarding the criticism surrounding the partnership, but did not respond by the time of publication.