British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly condemned a local police decision to bar fans of an Israeli soccer club from attending a crucial match against a top-tier British team next month, labeling it a “wrong decision.”
The authorities had previously classified the game between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, scheduled for November 6th at Aston Villa’s stadium in Birmingham, as high-risk before ultimately deciding to exclude Maccabi supporters entirely.
While banning fans from European soccer matches isn’t unprecedented – it has occurred at least twice this season – the involvement of an Israeli team intensified the controversy. This decision comes amidst a heated debate in Britain surrounding free speech and growing concerns about antisemitism, further escalating criticism of the ban.
“This is the wrong decision,” Mr. Starmer stated on social media. “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.”
On Friday, multiple British government departments engaged in discussions aimed at resolving the underlying issues that led to the ban, a government spokesman confirmed.
Mr. Starmer’s political adversaries were even more vocal in their condemnation, underscoring the pressure on his ruling Labour Party to address the situation. Kemi Badenoch, leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, notably called the ban a “national disgrace.”
Conversely, some local politicians in Birmingham, a city known for its diverse population and a hub for pro-Palestinian demonstrations during the Gaza war, voiced support for the fan ban.
“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,” commented Ayoub Khan, an independent Member of Parliament who secured his seat on a pro-Palestinian platform in last year’s elections and had advocated for the game’s cancellation.
Since the conflict in Gaza began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 – an event that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages – authorities and organizers have found arranging games involving Israeli teams to be a challenging and costly undertaking.
Across Europe, protesters have frequently utilized soccer matches involving Israeli teams as platforms to voice their concerns about the war in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reports nearly 70,000 fatalities in Gaza, a figure that includes both civilians and combatants. These matches have, at times, become scenes of confrontations and even violence.
Last week, during a World Cup qualifier against Israel, Norway implemented its most extensive security operation for a sports event since hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. Despite these measures, fewer than 100 Israeli fans attended, while over 1,000 individuals participated in a pre-match pro-Palestinian protest in Oslo. Days later, for another World Cup qualifier in Italy, military snipers were deployed to safeguard the Israeli national team and its entourage.
The most significant incident occurred last year in Amsterdam, during a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch club Ajax. Over two days, the event was marred by violence, antisemitic attacks, and anti-Arab chants. A report by Dutch authorities indicated that Maccabi fans had torn down and burned a Palestinian flag, and engaged in anti-Arab chanting before the game. Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, later detailed numerous hit-and-run attacks on Maccabi fans after the match, resulting in five hospitalizations.
In her report, Ms. 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, the primary law enforcement agency in Birmingham, directly cited the Amsterdam violence as a key factor in their decision to prohibit Maccabi fans from the upcoming November match against Aston Villa. The police asserted that their actions were taken to “help mitigate risks to public safety” and reaffirmed their “steadfast support of all affected communities, and zero-tolerance stance on hate crime.”
The Israeli government, among others, urged British authorities to reconsider the ban. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly denounced the prohibition as shameful, calling on UK authorities to “reverse this coward decision!”
The history of soccer fandom is punctuated by intense confrontations and violence, which have often led local authorities to exclude fans for security reasons. For instance, two years prior, Aston Villa themselves prevented a group of Polish fans from attending a match due to pre-game violence. Similarly, last month, the French interior ministry banned fans of Dutch team Ajax from a game in Marseille. In the same week, officials in Naples, Italy, blocked ticket sales to German team Eintracht Frankfurt supporters for another match.
“In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory,” stated UEFA, European soccer’s governing body.
Some teams have opted to relocate games scheduled against Israeli teams due to safety concerns. Indeed, Israeli teams have been unable to host matches on home ground since the beginning of the war, also citing safety issues. Meanwhile, a report by an antiracism organization in Israel has documented a rise in racist behavior, including anti-Arab chants, at games within Israel.