BIRMINGHAM, UK, 18 October (H.S.): The British government has pledged to do everything in our power to overturn a ban preventing Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham on November 6. The decision, made by the city’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) due to safety concerns, has ignited a political firestorm and drawn condemnation from senior UK leaders .

On Thursday, Aston Villa announced that the SAG, acting on advice from West Midlands Police, had barred the Israeli club’s fans from the fixture. Police classified the match as high risk, citing intelligence, potential protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and violent clashes that occurred before a Maccabi Tel Aviv match in Amsterdam in November 2024.

That incident, which led to over 60 arrests, was described by Amsterdam officials as a toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger.The ban prompted an immediate and forceful backlash from across the political spectrum:Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the decision wrong and declared, We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch labeled the ban a national disgrace and urged the Prime Minister to ensure Jewish fans can safely attend any football stadium in the country.Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey termed it a serious error, stating, You don’t combat antisemitism by excluding its victims.

The government is now working with police to explore what additional resources might be required to allow the match to proceed safely with all fans present. However, the decision to ban fans has received some support. The Green Party backed the SAG’s judgment, while independent MP Ayoub Khan said the rules applied to Russian teams due to the war in Ukraine should also apply to Israeli teams.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar