British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government was holding urgent talks on Friday to overturn a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending a match at Aston Villa that Israel’s government called “disgraceful.”
Birmingham-based Villa said the Security Advisory Group (SAG), responsible for issuing certificates for matches, had informed the club that no visiting fans would be allowed to attend the Europa League match on November 6.
“Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this cowardly decision,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X.
A UK police commissioner asked local officials to review the decision as criticism of the ban mounted, including from Starmer and European governing body UEFA.
Starmer, a keen football fan, called the move “wrong”.
“We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation,” Starmer wrote in X.
A spokesman for the prime minister said on Friday that talks were “going apace across government and with all relevant groups to find a way to resolve this.”
Britain’s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, whose remit includes sport, will meet Home Office officials and other stakeholders.
UEFA, which runs the Europa League, asked clubs and authorities to “agree on the implementation of the appropriate measures necessary to allow” Maccabi fans to attend.
Simon Foster, police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands area, which covers Villa Park, called on the SAG and police to “conduct an immediate review” to determine whether the ban is “appropriate” and “necessary”.
But several green and left-wing independent politicians in Britain backed the ban, with some calling for a broader exclusion of Israeli teams from international competitions over the war in Gaza, similar to the sports boycott of apartheid South Africa.
Public safety concerns
Villa issued a statement on Thursday saying West Midlands Police had informed SAG that they had “concerns about public safety outside the stadium and the ability to deal with potential protests that night”.
Police said they had classified the device as “high risk” after a “thorough assessment.”
“This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crimes that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam,” a spokesperson for the West Midlands force said.
Last November’s match between Dutch Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv resulted in two days of violent clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and Israeli fans.
Supporters of the Israeli team were attacked in Amsterdam in hit-and-run attacks.
The attacks were the culmination of skirmishes in which Maccabi fans chanted anti-Arab songs, vandalized a taxi and tore down a Palestinian flag.
Emily Damari, a British-Israeli who was captured during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and held captive for more than a year, said the ban would prevent her from going to see Maccabi, the team she supports.
“Football is a way to unite people regardless of their faith, color or religion, and this disgusting decision does exactly the opposite,” he said in a statement.
Maccabi fan Tamir Nahson, 37, a wine importer in Israel, told AFP it was a “missed opportunity”.
“It is very painful that (the country) has become the United Kingdom of anti-Semitism. It is very painful, very unpleasant for us and I suppose it is also disappointing for Aston Villa fans.”
Jack Angelides, CEO of Maccabi Tel Aviv, said bbc By radio, the team had traveled to other countries where, he said, the sentiment “is not as kind toward the Israeli teams,” but the police “were out in force” and there were no incidents.
Villa are third in the Europa League standings, while Maccabi Tel Aviv are 30th after two rounds.
World soccer body FIFA has faced repeated calls to act on the war in Gaza, and Palestinian officials have pushed for Israel to be suspended from international soccer.
FIFA has been reviewing the issue for months, but no decision has yet been made, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino has consistently said that such matters require consensus with the confederations and should be handled cautiously.
Earlier this month, FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said Israel’s continued involvement in international football must be addressed first and foremost by UEFA.
UEFA appeared prepared for an emergency vote on Israel’s suspension from European competition last month, but reportedly postponed a proposed vote following the announcement of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the region.
