Supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv have been banned from attending their team’s Europa League game away at English Premier League side Aston Villa next month.
In a statement, Birmingham-based club Villa said they had been informed that local police had “public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”
West Midlands Police said they had classified the November 6 fixture as “high risk” following a “thorough assessment.”
“This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam,” police said in a statement.
In November 2024, that fixture in the Netherlands was marred by violent clashes linked to the crisis in the Middle East which left at least five people needing hospital treatment and resulted in over 60 arrests.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said Israeli fans had been explicitly targeted by “antisemitic hit-and-run squads,” while a court later heard of WhatsApp groups with hundreds of members calling for violence against Jews.
On the other hand, videos also circulated showing Maccabi fans — the most fanatical of whom are known to be on the extreme right of the political spectrum — singing offensive songs about Gaza and Arabs, and pulling down Palestinian flags.
British PM Starmer slams ‘wrong decision’
The decision to ban Maccabi supporters from Villa Park in Birmingham next month also comes amid heightened concerns over antisemitism in the United Kingdom following an attack on a synagogue in Manchester earlier in October in which two people were killed.
But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Labour Party) has criticized the move, saying: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch (Conservative Party) said the decision was a “national disgrace” and asked: “How has it come to this?” while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was “shameful.”
The Jewish Leadership Council, which represents some of the largest Jewish organizations in the UK, said it was “perverse that away fans should be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can’t guarantee their safety.”
But one local member of parliament, independent pro-Palestinian lawmaker Ayoub Khan, welcomed the decision, saying that there had been “so much hostility and uncertainty around the match” that it was “only right to take drastic measures.”
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign had called for the match to be called off altogether, writing on social media: “Israeli football teams shouldn’t play in international tournaments whilst it commits genocide and apartheid.”
Could Israeli clubs be banned from European football?
European football’s governing body UEFA had reportedly been considering an Executive Committee vote on suspending Israeli teams from competitions — as Russian teams have been since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — before last week’s ceasefire announcement.
“UEFA wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment, and encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen,” UEFA said in a statement to UK broadcaster Sky Sports.
“In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory, such decisions being determined on the basis of thorough risk assessments, which vary from match to match and take into consideration previous circumstances.”
Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv are still without a win in the Europa League after drawing with Greek side PAOK and losing to Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia. Aston Villa, on the other hand, have beaten Italian side Bologna and Dutch side Feyenoord, and are yet to even concede a goal.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
