Mainz, a Bundesliga club, has suspended forward Anwar El Ghazi because of a social media post he made about the war on Gaza. El Ghazi, who is 28 years old and plays for the Netherlands national team, shared a post on his Instagram story showing support for Palestine.

Clarifying the Post

After his original post was deleted, El Ghazi took to Twitter to explain his intentions. He stated that he stands for peace above everything and called for more empathy. He believes that understanding the history of the conflict is crucial.

Unacceptable Stance

Mainz found El Ghazi's stance on the war to be unacceptable and has relieved him of his training and matchday duties. The club will have a meeting with the player in the coming weeks to decide what happens next.

Not a war but genocide

Al-Ghazi said in his post in support of the Palestinians on Instagram, “It is not a war. When one party cuts off water, food, and electricity to another party, this is not a war. When one party has nuclear weapons, this is not a war.”

He continued, "When one party is funded with billions of dollars, this is not a war. When one party uses artificial intelligence to spread false information about the other, this is not a war... This is not a conflict and this is not a war. What we are witnessing live now is genocide and mass destruction."

He concluded, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

Club Statement

In a statement, Mainz said, "FSV Mainz 05 have relieved Anwar El Ghazi of his training and matchday related duties. 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. Prior to making this decision, the club and the player had engaged in an in-depth discussion. Mainz 05 respect the fact that there are varying perspectives on the decades-long, complex conflict in the Middle East. However, the club is distancing themselves from the content of the social media post in question, as it does not align with the values of the club."

About Anwar El Ghazi

Anwar El Ghazi joined Mainz from PSV Eindhoven in September 2023 and signed a two-year contract with the club. He used to play for Aston Villa. So far this season, he has made three substitute appearances in the Bundesliga.