Aarhus Municipality has decided to suspend department head Simon El-Zeinab following controversial comments he made about the deceased Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which were shared on social media. This was confirmed by the city’s councilor for social affairs and employment, Anders Winnerskjold (Socialdemokratiet – Social Democrats), in a statement to Danish broadcaster DR.

“The statements he made are incompatible with working in Aarhus Municipality,” explained Anders Winnerskjold, adding that the matter will now be addressed as an employment law issue, which he cannot comment on further at this time.

Simon El-Zeinab’s Facebook post, which has since been deleted, referred to Ismail Haniyeh as “a great leader” and expressed condolences. According to the Danish newspaper Berlingske, El-Zeinab stated, “He has become one of the great Palestinian leaders, respected by more than half of the Palestinians. One cannot deny such a great man, and it is possible to express condolences and feel saddened that he was killed in that way.”

As a direct consequence of his post, Simon El-Zeinab also chose to resign from the International Integration Council, where he had been an active member. The incident has generated significant attention and criticism, leading to this drastic measure by Aarhus Municipality.