British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly condemned a recent decision by local police to prevent fans of an Israeli football club from attending an upcoming match against a major British team. Citing security concerns, authorities moved to ban visiting supporters, a move Starmer emphatically called the ‘wrong decision.’
The match, scheduled for November 6th between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa’s home stadium in Birmingham, was initially labeled as high-risk by local authorities. This assessment ultimately led to the controversial exclusion of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
While fan bans are not unheard of in European football, having occurred at least twice this season, the specific involvement of an Israeli team intensified the backlash. The decision ignited a heated discussion in Britain concerning free speech and heightened anxieties about antisemitism, amplifying widespread criticism.
Taking to social media on Thursday, Mr. Starmer declared, “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.”
A government spokesperson confirmed that several British departments were engaged in urgent talks on Friday, aiming to resolve the underlying issues that prompted the ban.
Starmer’s political rivals voiced even harsher criticism, underscoring the pressure on his Labour Party to address the controversy. Kemi Badenoch, leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, branded the ban a “national disgrace.”
Conversely, some local politicians in Birmingham, a city known for its diversity and a focal point for pro-Palestinian demonstrations amidst the Gaza conflict, expressed support for the ban.
Ayoub Khan, an independent Member of Parliament elected on a pro-Palestinian platform, who had previously advocated for the match’s cancellation, stated, “From the moment that the match was announced, it was clear that there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage.”
Since the onset of the war in Gaza, which began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 – an event that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages – organizing games involving Israeli teams has proven to be a challenging and costly undertaking for authorities and event organizers.
Across Europe, protests related to the Gaza conflict have frequently emerged at football matches involving Israeli teams. The Gaza Health Ministry reports nearly 70,000 fatalities in Gaza, a figure that doesn’t differentiate between combatants and civilians. These matches have regrettably become flashpoints for confrontations and, at times, violence.
Just last week, a World Cup qualifier featuring Israel in Norway necessitated the largest security deployment for a sporting event since the 1994 Winter Olympics. Despite a small contingent of fewer than 100 Israeli supporters, over a thousand individuals participated in a pre-match pro-Palestinian demonstration in Oslo. Days later, for another qualifier in Italy, military snipers were positioned to safeguard the Israeli national team and their delegation.
A significant eruption of violence occurred in Amsterdam last year during a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch club Ajax. This two-day period saw antisemitic attacks, anti-Arab chants, and street violence. A Dutch official report confirmed that Maccabi fans had removed and burned a Palestinian flag and engaged in offensive chanting before the game. Following the match, Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, reported hit-and-run assaults on Maccabi fans, resulting in five hospitalizations.
In her statement, Mayor Halsema characterized the events as “a toxic cocktail of antisemitism, football hooliganism and anger over the war in Palestine and Israel and other parts of the Middle East.”
West Midlands Police, Birmingham’s primary law enforcement agency, justified their decision to prohibit Maccabi fans from the November Aston Villa match by directly referencing the Amsterdam violence. They stated their actions were taken to “help mitigate risks to public safety” and reaffirmed their “zero-tolerance stance on hate crime” while supporting all affected communities.
The Israeli government, alongside other bodies, urged British authorities to reconsider the ban. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly denounced the decision as shameful, stating, “I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision!”
Football fan culture has a long history of intense emotional clashes and violence, often leading local authorities to implement fan bans for security reasons. For instance, Aston Villa themselves prohibited a group of Polish fans two years prior due to pre-match violence. Similarly, last month, the French interior ministry barred Ajax fans from a game in Marseille, and in the same week, Naples city officials prevented German team Eintracht Frankfurt supporters from purchasing tickets for their match.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, reiterated its stance in a statement: “In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory.”
Given ongoing safety concerns, some teams have opted to relocate matches against Israeli clubs. In fact, Israeli teams have been unable to host home games since the war began. A report from an Israeli anti-racism organization documented an increase in racist conduct at games within Israel, notably including anti-Arab chants.
Additional reporting for this story was provided by Stephen Castle.