A ban on Israeli fans from attending an Aston Villa match is “wrong”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Prime Minister said “we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets” after fans of Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv were barred from the club’s Europa League visit to Aston Villa amid public safety fears.
Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group – the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park – informed Villa that no away fans will be permitted to attend the November 6 fixture in Birmingham.
The move had sparked an outcry, and was branded a “national disgrace” by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and a “shameful decision” by Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar.
Sir Keir said on X: “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.”
West Midlands Police said they had classified the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk 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”.
Violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans erupted around the Uefa Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv last year.
More than 60 people were detained in the riots, which prompted accusations of deliberate antisemitic attacks.
Ayoub Khan, the Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: “I welcome the Safety Advisory Group’s decision to advise that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to attend Villa Park on November 6.
“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.
“With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures.”
Mrs Badenoch said on X: “This is a national disgrace.
“How have things come to this?
“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.”
The Prime Minister, earlier on Thursday, said “words are not enough, action is what matters” in tackling antisemitism.
He announced a review of antisemitism in the NHS while on a visit to the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK.
