Push to overturn ban on Israeli football fans in UK

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prevented from attending match at Aston Villa after police classed it 'high risk'

Senior British government figures are attempting to overturn a ban on Israeli fans attending a football match in Birmingham.

There was an immediate political backlash to the decision, taken by police, to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending next month’s match against Aston Villa.

The West Midlands police and crime commissioner called for an "immediate review" of the decision, while Downing Street said discussions were happening “at pace, across Government” to resolve the ban.

A No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister will do everything in his power to give Jewish communities the security they deserve and, as he has made clear, we think this is the wrong decision. We should not have a country where we have to tell people to stay away from certain events because we cannot protect them, or they may be a victim of racism."

The spokesman added that the Home Secretary was now “urgently working with the police to find a way through” and hoped to find “the right outcome”.

“We are confident that the police has the resources, capability and expertise for this,” said the prime minister’s deputy spokesman.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Home Office officials were among those meeting.

Ian Murray, whose brief covers the government’s culture and science departments, echoed the words of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who on Thursday night criticised the decision by Birmingham’s safety advisory group, saying it was wrong.

Mr Murray told the Sky News channel: “The Prime Minister and the government have been clear about that. In fact, pretty much every politician has been clear about that.

“It’s just completely and utterly unacceptable, and the Prime Minister has said we will do everything we possibly can to resolve this issue. It’s an operational issue for the police, and government doesn’t get involved in operational issues for the police.

“But I know the Culture Secretary of State [Ms Nandy] will be meeting with the Home Office and other stakeholders today to try to see if there’s a way through this.”

Mr Murray later told BBC Breakfast the decision sends the “wrong message” that “you will be banned from going to public events if you’re of the wrong race, religion or creed”.

Police commissioner Simon Foster said: "The safety and security of all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including visitors to the West Midlands, is my top priority. That is absolute, unconditional and non-negotiable."

He said he had asked the council and police to convene a special safety advisory group meeting at the earliest opportunity to review the decision to ban away fans.

He requested this to determine whether the decision was "appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim", and he stressed the need for "consideration of all and any suitable alternative options".

However, the move was supported by Ayoub Khan, the pro-Gaza Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, who had led a petition campaigning for the Israeli fans to be banned.

He said: “From the moment the match was announced, it was clear there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage. With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures.”

It emerged on Friday that a Birmingham-based Islamic preacher had given a sermon in which he said Maccabi fans would be shown "no mercy" if they came to the city.

West Midlands Police said they had classified the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk, based on “current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crimes during the 2024 Uefa Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam”.

Violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans erupted before, during and after that match last November. Five men were given prison sentences and more than 60 people were detained in the riots, which prompted accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks.

Andrew Fox, honorary president of Aston Villa Jewish Villans supporters’ club, said the decision to ban fans of the Israeli side is “a political message rather than a safety message”.

The retired British Army major told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There’s no evidence of Maccabi’s fans being particularly violent. They don’t have a track record in all of their previous European games of having a violent fan group.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv's chief executive Jack Angelides said that he did not want to take security issues lightly but the team had travelled to places such as Turkey where the sentiment is “not so kind towards Israeli teams”, but the police “were out in force” and there were no incidents.

Also speaking on Today, Mr Angelides said: “I do find it somewhat difficult to understand why this has come to pass, in the sense that our fans cannot be secure in attending this match.

“And [it] also begs the question ... there is a delegation coming of management, of players and all the supporting staff, are we saying that they will be secure also or that there are issues with them?”

Asked if he thinks they will be secure, Mr Angelides said he trusts in the authorities and has not heard anything to suggest they would not be. He said well over 1,000 Maccabi fans had been expected at the game.

Emily Damari, who was held captive by Hamas for more than a year, said the decision was “outrageous”. The British-Israeli football fan, who supports Maccabi and Tottenham Hotspur, said: “I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK.

"Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion, and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite."

Uefa, which runs the Europa League, urged UK authorities to make sure Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could attend the match in Birmingham.

It said: “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.”

On Thursday evening, the Prime Minister condemned the decision, writing on X: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”

Besiktas v Maccabi Tel Aviv was played at a neutral venue in Hungary due to the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Reuters

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Starmer announced measures to stamp out anti-Semitism – including an NHS review – while visiting the Community Security Trust, which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK.

He was joined by senior political figures in condemning the ban, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who branded it a “national disgrace”.