Widespread condemnation against ban on Maccabi TA fans from attending Aston Villa game
The decision to bar fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football team from attending an away game against Aston Villa in Birmingham, England, is drawing widespread condemnation.
Hostage survivor Emily Damari, who also holds British citizenship, compared the decision to “putting up a big sign outside a stadium saying ‘No Jews allowed’” in a tweet on X.
Damari expressed deep shock, saying: “I am absolutely shocked by this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK. Football is a way to unite people regardless of their faith, colour or religion, and this disgusting decision does exactly the opposite.”
She wondered, “What happened to Britain where blatant antisemitism has become the norm? What a sad world we live in.” “This is a wrong decision,” tweeted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets. The role of the police is not to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence.”
West Midlands Police, which supported the decision, said it considered the game “high risk.” The recommendation was based on current intelligence and previous violent incidents, such as in Amsterdam, where 62 people were arrested. Police said ten of those arrested were Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who reportedly tore up a Palestinian flag, vandalized a taxi and shouted anti-Arab slogans.
Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Ofir Sofer, commented, “The decision by Aston Villa Football Club and the English police to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the match between the two teams is nothing less than a reward to radical Islam, to terrorism against Jews and the free world, and to the wave of antisemitism that has resurfaced all around the world, particularly in Britain.”
“The British government must fight antisemitism with determination and not surrender to it. The decision should be reversed, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans must be allowed to attend the match, and their safety must be ensured,” he concluded.
