Starmer slams Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban for Aston Villa match | The Express Tribune

LONDON:

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday the plan to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a Europa League match at Aston Villa was the “wrong choice” after police advised the club no away fans could be at the game due to security concerns.

“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,” Starmer wrote on X.

Villa announced earlier Thursday the club had been advised no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be allowed to attend next month’s Europa League meeting over “public safety concerns”.

In a statement Villa said they had “been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG)”.

The SAG is the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park.

The statement added: “The SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture.

“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.”

Villa said they were in “continuous dialogue” with the Israeli club and the local authorities “with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision”.

Local police said on Thursday they had classified the fixture as “high risk” following a “thorough assessment”.

“This decision is 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,” a spokesperson for the force said.

Last November’s match between Dutch side Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv saw supporters of the Israeli team being assaulted in Amsterdam in hit-and-run attacks.

The attacks were the culmination of two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalise a taxi and pull down a Palestinian flag.