Prime Minister calls ban on Israeli supporters ‘wrong decision’ as West Midlands Police cite Amsterdam violence and safety concerns for Europa League fixture
Sir Keir Starmer has strongly condemned the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending next month’s Europa League match at Aston Villa, declaring that police must ensure all football fans can enjoy matches “without fear of violence or intimidation”.
The Prime Minister’s intervention came hours after West Midlands Police announced they had classified the 6 November fixture as “high risk” and advised that no Israeli fans should be permitted at Villa Park due to public safety concerns.
“This is the wrong decision,” Sir Keir said in a short statement issued Thursday evening. “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.
The ban has sparked fierce debate about security, free movement of supporters, and the wider implications of Middle East tensions on European football, with Jewish groups condemning the move as capitulation to intimidation whilst others cite genuine safety concerns following violent incidents in Amsterdam last November.
West Midlands Police defended their assessment, stating the decision was “based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
The Amsterdam incidents saw widespread violence over two nights, with Maccabi fans filmed tearing down Palestinian flags, chanting anti-Arab slogans including “death to Arabs”, and vandalising property. Following the match, which Ajax won 5-0, Israeli supporters were targeted in what Amsterdam’s mayor initially described as “antisemitic hit-and-run squads”, with groups on scooters hunting down and attacking fans across the city centre.
Five people were hospitalised, 20-30 suffered minor injuries, and Dutch police arrested 62 individuals during the clashes. The violence prompted international condemnation, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comparing the attacks to Kristallnacht, whilst Palestinian groups condemned the racist chanting and violence by Israeli supporters that preceded the assaults.
The Jewish Leadership Council criticised Thursday’s decision as “perverse”, stating: “Away fans should not be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can’t guarantee their safety. Aston Villa should face the consequences of this decision and the match should be played behind closed doors.
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG), responsible for issuing safety certificates for Villa Park, formally instructed the club and UEFA that excluding Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters was essential after an emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon. Police cited specific concerns about their ability to manage potential protests outside the stadium whilst ensuring supporter safety.
Aston Villa confirmed in a statement they had been informed of the ban, adding: “The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.
The decision comes against a backdrop of mounting pressure from various quarters. In September, independent MP Jeremy Corbyn and Birmingham Perry Barr MP Ayoub Khan launched a petition urging UEFA and Villa to cancel the fixture entirely or relocate it to a neutral venue, citing the “ongoing genocide in Gaza” and risks to “community harmony” in Birmingham’s diverse communities.
Local councillor Waseem Zaffar, a lifelong Villa supporter, announced he would boycott the match, stating: “I cannot in good faith be sat in a stadium watching a team play football from a state whose government has contributed to such brutal actions.”
Birmingham’s significant Muslim population, particularly in the Aston area near Villa Park, has raised concerns about potential confrontations. Islamic scholar Sheikh Asrar Rashid warned in October that Maccabi fans “will not be shown mercy” in Birmingham, heightening tensions ahead of the fixture.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s ultras have a documented history of racist incidents, including abuse directed at Arab and black players on their own team. In March, a man carrying a Palestinian flag was hospitalised after an altercation with Maccabi fans before a match against Olympiacos in Athens.
However, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told LBC the ban represented an “extremely sad state of affairs”, adding: “That Jews and Israelis in Britain would feel in some way unsafe at a football match is a problem that Britain must face up to.
The controversy has reignited broader debates about Israeli teams’ participation in European competitions. The Palestine Football Association has called on FIFA and UEFA to address what they term “genocidal, racist, and Islamophobic rhetoric among Israeli football supporters” and implement concrete measures to combat hostility.
West Midlands Police emphasised their commitment to impartial policing, with a spokesperson stating: “Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety. We remain steadfast in our support of all affected communities, and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance on hate crime in all its forms.
The force has a strong track record of successfully policing high-risk fixtures but concluded that the combination of current tensions, intelligence reports, and the precedent set by Amsterdam violence made the ban necessary.
This marks a rare instance of away supporters being completely banned from a European fixture in England, raising questions about whether similar measures might be applied to future matches involving Israeli teams. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s next away fixture in the Europa League is scheduled against Beşiktaş in Istanbul on 28 November, though UEFA has already announced this will be played at a neutral venue following Turkish government advice.
The Prime Minister’s swift condemnation of the ban places additional pressure on police and football authorities to reconsider their position, though with less than three weeks until the fixture, any reversal appears unlikely given the security planning required.
As tensions continue to escalate around Israeli teams’ participation in European football, the Villa Park ban has become a flashpoint for broader debates about security, discrimination, and the intersection of sport and geopolitics in an increasingly polarised environment.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit:
Keir Starmer — official portrait (cropped), licensed under CC BY 4.0
