Outrage As Israeli Fans Banned From Attending Football Match In The UK

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

The decision to bar Israeli fans from attending Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League match against Aston Villa on Nov. 6 has sparked a political firestorm in Britain, with critics warning it sends a “shameful message” about antisemitism and public order in the country.

Aston Villa confirmed on Thursday that no away fans will be allowed into Villa Park, Birmingham, for the fixture following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which issues safety certificates for all matches at the stadium. The club said the decision followed concerns from West Midlands Police about “public safety outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”

“The club is in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision,” Aston Villa said.

The ruling follows weeks of campaigning by local Independent MP Ayoub Khan, who represents Birmingham Perry Barr. Khan, who had called Maccabi fans “violent” and argued the club should “not even be participating in European competition,” welcomed the SAG decision.

“From the moment 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. “With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures.”

I will do everything in my power to guarantee Jewish communities the security they deserve. pic.twitter.com/IceYvBXOvu

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 16, 2025

The decision has been widely condemned by political leaders. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who only hours earlier had pledged to Jewish communities that he would “do everything in my power to guarantee Jewish communities the security they deserve,” wrote on X that the decision was “wrong.”

“We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets,” he said. “The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.” However, Starmer offered no indication that the government would intervene to overturn the ban.

Former immigration minister and current Shadow Justice Minister Robert Jenrick was among the first to demand that West Midlands Police reverse the decision. “Use Public Order units. Use mutual aid,” he said. “We can’t be a country where the safety of Jews cannot be guaranteed in some areas. The Home Secretary must be clear that if this isn’t reversed, she’ll intervene and heads will roll.”

Last week I was attacked for pointing out that parts of Birmingham were a failure of integration.

But now Israeli football fans are banned from watching their team play at Villa Park as the police can’t guarantee their safety.

Maybe I wasn’t wrong after all. https://t.co/iRW8SRdDQ5

— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) October 16, 2025

Jenrick linked the decision to his earlier comments about Birmingham’s integration challenges, remarks that were widely criticized last week. “Last week, I was attacked for pointing out that parts of Birmingham were a failure of integration. But now Israeli football fans are banned from watching their team play at Villa Park, as the police can’t guarantee their safety. Maybe I wasn’t wrong after all,” he said.

Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called the development a “national disgrace.” “How have things come to this?” she asked. “Starmer pledged that Jews are welcome and safe in Britain, that he stands shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community, and will use the full force of his government to prove it. Will he back those words with action and guarantee that Jewish fans can walk into any football stadium in this country? If not, it sends a horrendous and shameful message: there are parts of Britain where Jews simply cannot go.”

Aston Villa’s have barred Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans due to Muslim intimidation.

Astar Rashid, an Islamic preacher says when the Jewish team & fans arrive they will shown no “rahma” or mercy. pic.twitter.com/qzN1neyX6K

— David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) October 17, 2025

The controversy was further inflamed by a widely shared video of Birmingham Imam Asrar Rashid calling for attacks on visiting Maccabi fans. “We will show no mercy toward Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who will arrive in several weeks for the match against Aston Villa,” he said in a recent address to Muslims.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the decision “takes racial discrimination to a whole new level.”

The issue also comes less than a year after violent attacks targeted Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam during a Europa League match against Ajax, which Dutch opposition leader Geert Wilders described as a “pogrom.”

Videos from the incident showed Jewish fans being beaten, thrown into canals, and even run over by vehicles, with one assailant shouting, “That’s for Palestine, motherfucker,” as he repeatedly kicked a victim lying motionless on the ground.

The Jerusalem Post reported that mobs attempted to storm buildings where Jewish supporters had barricaded themselves, and former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged people to “act by any means” to save their lives.

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