Supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv have been banned from attending their team’s UEFA Europa League match against UK team Aston Villa at Villa Park, Birmingham, on November 6, over “public safety risks”.
The decision was announced by Aston Villa yesterday after a meeting of the city’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
West Midlands Police classified the fixture as “high risk” based on intelligence and prior incidents, notably violent clashes involving Maccabi fans during a 2024 Europa League game against Ajax in Amsterdam.
Dutch authorities reported more than 60 arrests after assaults on Maccabi supporters, described as a mix of anti-Semitism and hooliganism linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Reported anti-Semitic violence following a football match in Amsterdam between Dutch team Ajax and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv has caused shock in Israel and across the West. https://t.co/JTZhW3ClQL
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) November 8, 2024
Aston Villa management stated: “The club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv … West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”
The club emphasised ongoing discussions with Maccabi Tel Aviv and authorities, prioritising the safety of all supporters and residents.
This is not the first such restriction for Maccabi fans this season. Around 120 travelled to a recent match against PAOK in Greece under heavy police escort due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Similar measures affected Ajax fans at a Champions League game in Marseille in September.
The Villa ban has drawn sharp criticism from UK political figures and Jewish organisations, who argue it discriminates against fans and fails to address underlying security threats.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X today: “This is the wrong decision.”
Conservative Party opposition leader Kemi Badenoch described it as a “national disgrace”, adding that it sends a “horrendous and shameful message: There are parts of Britain where Jews simply aren’t safe”.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey labelled it a “serious mistake”, stating: “You don’t tackle anti-Semitism by banning its victims.”
Niger Farage of the Reform UK Party said: “This takes racial discrimination to a whole new level” and retweeted a post by Reform UK MP Danny Kruger, who said the police decision “to effectively agree to a ban is totally reprehensible”. Kruger called for the sacking of Craig Guildford, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, whom he said had given in to the violent mob rather than banning the game itself.
Andrew Fox, honorary president of Aston Villa’s Jewish Villans supporters’ club, said the ban raises “worrying” questions about British society’s ability to host civil debates without violence.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar called the decision “shameful” and urged officials to reverse it.
The Jewish Leadership Council condemned the move as “perverse”, saying police should guarantee safety rather than exclude fans. It suggested the match be played behind closed doors with Aston Villa facing the consequences.
European football association UEFA has also intervened, stating that Maccabi away fans “should be allowed” to attend, describing the ban as “appalling”.
While opposition dominates public discourse, some voices have welcomed the ban on safety grounds, pointing to recent events and broader tensions.
Independent MP Ayoub Khan said he “welcomes the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to watch the match at Aston Villa”, crediting a petition urging that, which he supported.
Khan referenced the Amsterdam incidents, where Maccabi fans were accused of provocative acts including tearing down and burning a Palestinian flag.
“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,” he said.
Your Party MP Zarah Sultana said: “Next UEFA must ban all Israeli teams. We cannot have normalisation with genocide and apartheid.”
Qatar – a Muslim country & a hotbed of Islamist extremism – was able to safely host 20,000 Israelis for the 2022 World Cup. Yet Birmingham – a British city – is unable to do so.
Starmer's cowardice has indeed ensured Jews are safe – in Arab countries. A venal, shameful outrage. https://t.co/ZIDs4mVvNZ
— Ike Ijeh (@ikeijeh) October 16, 2025
Birmingham-based Islamic scholar, Asrar Rashid, posted a video warning: “We will not show mercy to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans travelling to Birmingham,” which drew widespread condemnation.
The decision comes amid rising anti-Semitism concerns in the UK, following an October attack on a Manchester synagogue in which two people died.
Police claim to maintain a “zero-tolerance” stance on hate crimes.
Observers say inflows of migrants from South Asia, the Middle East and Africa has imported anti-Israel sentiments, fuelling anti-Semitic incidents. There were 47 such incidents in Birmingham in 2024, according to data from the UK-based Jewish NGO Community Security Trust.
Birmingham Islamic preacher, Astar Rashid, told his followers that the Muslims of Birmingham “should show no mercy” to the football fans from Tel Aviv.
And the British police just announced that it is not capable of protecting the Jewish fans.
The UK has a big problem pic.twitter.com/dFVoC0eD1F
— The Uri (@uricohenisrael) October 16, 2025
