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Arsenal Fan TV have hit back at what they believe are ‘baseless’ and ‘entirely unsubstantiated’ claims that they dropped pundit Moh Haider over his support for Palestine in the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Haider has hit out at ‘pure cowardice’ and a ‘lack of class’ from those who run the popular YouTube channel amid claims he has been dropped from appearing due to his support for Palestine.
There has been renewed tensions and violence between Israel and Palestine, with the escalating conflict over the last couple of weeks the worst seen between them since 2014.
Haider has been a vocal supporter of Palestine and the #FreePalestine hashtag and revealed there is an ‘issue’ between himself and AFTV.
He had been wearing a pro-Palestine badge in some of his recent appearances but he has now taken aim at the channel having not been used for several weeks.
There are claims Moh Haider, a regular pundit on Arsenal Fan TV, has been dropped from appearing on the channel due to his continued support for Palestine in its ongoing battle with Israel
Haider is a frequent poster of the Palestinian flag on his Twitter page as tensions escalate
He called out AFTV for their lack of statement on why he is not appearing on the channel
AFTV’s Head of Business Development Sartej Tucker looked to add some clarity when asked by one individual on Twitter if the decision was taken because of concerns with sponsors
But in a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday night, AFTV said: ‘We are aware of baseless and entirely unsubstantiated allegations that have been made against the channel over the past few days.
‘AFTV has never censored any individual from contributing to the channel for their political beliefs and has always implored individuals to use their personal platforms to speak up for what they believe in.
‘We were however disgusted to be labelled as “cowards” and “complicit in the suppression” of the Palestinian people for not taking a public stance against the situation.
‘As a direct result of that statement the individual is no longer contributing to the channel.
‘We @AFTVMedia stand united against all forms of injustice, racism and discrimination. However do not take a public stance on any such conflicts in the interest of supporting the diverse demographic of our channel.
‘We will be making no further comment on the matter at this time.’
AFTV hit back against the ‘baseless’ and ‘unsubstantiated’ claims in a statement on Thursday
AFTV’s Head of Business Development Sartej Tucker responded to one fan earlier this week who questioned if the motives behind removing Haider were down to monetary concerns with existing sponsors.
Tucker, who later deleted the tweet because it had ‘clearly been taken out of context’, posted: ‘Funnily enough, has nothing to do with sponsors or money.
‘Everything to do with the dozens of Jewish fans who message us every time begging for the channel not to be politicised.
‘As such, we don’t engage in geopolitical conflicts or allow people to promote geopolitical messages.’
Haider has continued to spread the message of support for Palestine as conflict intensifies with Israel in Gaza.
Haider has been working with AFTV for seven years and was one of the original guest pundits
He has received many messages of support since he has taken a stand in support of Palestine
He has been inundated with messages from viewers of the channel backing his stance.
Haider described being ‘overwhelmed’ at the number of messages and he went on to add that he is ‘proud’ to have taken a stance.
His irritation at the lack of clarity by way of a public statement from AFTV was aired in a recent appearance on The Arsenal Lounge.
He said: ‘This is my first time on The Arsenal Lounge with you but if I do this for seven years with you, if I do this for seven years and I invite you to my house, to my wedding, back you physically when someone steps to you, back you verbally when people criticise you and the channel, and all of that has gone in seven years.
‘It shows a real, real lack of class.’
Haider went on to add: ‘I haven’t been given a reason. What has broken the camel’s back is that I called them out on what they have done. This is what I find hypocritical because this is what the channel is all about.
‘I’m not going to offer a reason on their behalf. They should at least be telling me that. I had the audacity to call them out on their suppression but I am going to give it back to AFTV. They should explain why I’m no longer there.’
A recent appearance on The Arsenal Lounge podcast saw Haider (right) confirm that he has been given no clear reasoning as to why he is no longer appearing on the popular fan channel
Haider has continued to post messages of support while he calls on AFTV to clarify to viewers
A number of sports stars have produced messages of support with Palestine including Leicester pair Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana, as well as Paul Pogba and Amad Diallo at Manchester United.
Arsenal’s involvement in the Palestine movement saw concerns reportedly emerge with a leading sponsor.
Arsenal’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny tweeted on Monday: ‘My heart and my soul and my support for you Palestine,’ followed by a picture of the Palestine flag and a peace emoji.
Elneny’s post resulted in a backlash from Arsenal’s Jewish supporters because his tweet also included an image with the text ‘Palestine Lives Matter,’ which shows an outline of Israel with pro-Palestine pictures within.
According to the Jewish Chronicle, the Gunners’ sponsor and coffee group Lavazza have since contacted the club to register their concern about them being linked with Elneny’s message, amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The coffee company said the post did not align with their own values, while Arsenal defended Elneny by stating he had the right to defend his own platforms.
Paul Pogba (left) and Amad Diallo (right) held up the Palestine flag following Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham on Tuesday
Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana held up a Palestine flag at the FA Cup final
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