Independent British MP Iqbal Mohamed has called for government action over what he says are English football’s extensive links to Israel’s occupation and war crimes against Palestinians.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Mohamed called on the government to address sponsorship links between English football and companies accused of complicity in “Israel’s illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocide of the Palestinian people”.
He argued that the Premier League (EPL), its clubs and the Football Association (FA) should not be associated with firms linked to alleged violations of Palestinian rights.
“I am very concerned that our country’s great football institutions are sportswashing Israel’s atrocities.”
Mohamed cited a recent report by the campaign group War on Want, entitled Red Card: English Premier League Sportswashing of Israel’s Atrocities against the Palestinians.
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The report documented the “involvement of at least 16 companies documented by the United Nations and other highly authoritative sources to be complicit in Israel’s atrocities” in sponsoring the “EPL, FA, and EPL clubs”, Mohamed said.
The companies are “Alphabet/Goodgle, AXA, BP, Canon, Carlsberg, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Expedia/Hotels.com, Eurobank, Evelyn Partners, HPE, HSBC, Meta, Oracle, Sony, and Standard Chartered”.
I’ve written to the @DCMS Secretary of State urging action on sponsorship in English football by companies linked to Israel’s occupation & atrocities against Palestinians.
Our beautiful game must not be used to sportswash such grave injustice.@premierleague @LFC pic.twitter.com/jWBnRKcNhn
— Iqbal Mohamed MP (@iqbalmohamedMP) June 24, 2026
Mohamed told Nandy: “At least ten of the clubs in the EPL are directly sponsored by these companies: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.”
The War on Want report concluded that Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United were the clubs most enmeshed with companies facilitating Israeli atrocities.
Arsenal, Fulham, both Manchester clubs and Newcastle United are also identified as being potentially implicated in Israeli apartheid and Israel’s genocide in Gaza “through the activities of their owners”.
‘Safe haven for companies complicit in atrocities’
Mohamed added in his letter: “Each and every club is indirectly sponsored by Barclays – the EPL’s main sponsor”.
Barclays has reportedly stopped underwriting Israeli wartime bonds since 2024.
Another sponsor, Coca Cola, has subsidiaries and licenses in Israel which have multiple facilities – including vineyards – in occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
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“I ask that you to ensure that the EPL must not be a profitable safe haven for companies complicit in atrocities,” Mohamed wrote.
He asked Nandy to ensure the British government “works with the EPL, FA, clubs, and other stakeholders to end sponsorship and advertising by companies involved in atrocities as quickly as possible”, and to “ensure that no entity in the UK, whether state or private, aids or assists Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid”.
The War on Want report also found that four English Premier League clubs – Arsenal, Brighton, Burnley and Everton – had treated pro-Palestinian staff and supporters “in ways that may breach the right to freedom of expression and/ or amount to discrimination”.
War on Want cited the case of Mark Bonnick, an Arsenal kitman who had worked at the club for 22 years.
Bonnick, who was later interviewed by Middle East Eye, had posted criticism of Israel’s conduct online and was abruptly fired on Christmas Eve 2024 after what appeared to be a “smear campaign led by a handful of politically motivated individuals making allegations of antisemitism against him”.
The FA investigated the posts and found no misconduct. Arsenal also stated that they did not find any evidence of antisemitism, a view shared by Jewish anti-racism campaigners. He was nonetheless dismissed by Arsenal on the grounds that he had brought the club “into disrepute”.
“Arsenal appears to have prioritised seemingly prejudiced and racist views of those who targeted him online rather than its staff’s livelihood, wellbeing and rights – including the right to freedom of expression in support of people suffering genocide, illegal occupation and apartheid,” War on Want said.
