Ministers attempt to reverse ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Aston Villa match: Live updates

West Midlands police and crime commissioner Simon Foster has called for Birmingham council officials and West Midlands Police to review the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the club’s Europa League match at Aston Villa in November.

In a statement, he said: “The safety and security of all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including visitors to the West Midlands, is my top priority. That is absolute, unconditional and non-negotiable.

“I have today requested Birmingham City Council Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and West Midlands Police (WMP) convene a special SAG at the earliest possible opportunity and conduct an immediate review of the decision to prohibit the attendance of away fans at the football match between Aston Villa FC v Maccabi Tel Aviv FC, on Thursday November 6.

“The purpose of my request for a review is to enable the SAG and WMP to determine whether or not this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. That must include consideration of all and any suitable alternative options.

“My request for a review of this decision has included a request for immediate sight of the written decision and recommendation of the SAG, the event operational plan, the assessment carried out by WMP and any other documentation relevant to the decision and recommendation.

“The purpose of my request for sight of this documentation is to satisfy myself on an evidence-led and informed basis as to whether or not this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, including whether all and any suitable alternative options have been considered.

“However, let me be clear: any decision or recommendation is ultimately a matter for the Birmingham City Council SAG and the independent, objective and impartial operational policing judgment of West Midlands Police.

“I repeat, the safety and security of all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including visitors to the West Midlands, is my top priority.

“That is absolute, unconditional and non-negotiable.”

West Midlands Police has a strong track record of successfully policing football matches and other high-risk public events.

We are committed to delivering fair and impartial policing, while balancing the public’s right to protest with our duty to ensure public safety.

Following a thorough assessment, we have classified the upcoming Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv fixture as high risk.

We have actively engaged with a wide range of local partners and community representatives in preparation for this fixture, and continue to participate in the Safety Advisory Group.

While the Safety Certificate is issued by Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police supports the decision to prohibit away supporters from attending.

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.

Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety.

We remain steadfast in our support all affected communities, and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance on hate crime in all its forms.

As government officials are set to meet over the ban, The Independent takes a look back at what happened in Amsterdam last autumn:

Emily Damari, a British-Israeli who was held captive by Hamas for more than a year before being released in January, and who supports football teams Maccabi Tel Aviv and Tottenham Hotspur, said the decision to ban Israeli fans attending a match against Aston Villa was “outrageous”.

She said: “I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK.

“Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion, and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite.

“Shame on you. I hope you come to your senses and reconsider.

“I do wonder what exactly has become of UK society. This is like putting a big sign on the outside of a stadium saying: ‘No Jews allowed’.

“What has become of the UK where blatant antisemitism has become the norm? What a sad world we are living in.”

Uefa, which runs the Europa League, urged UK authorities to make sure Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could attend the match in Birmingham.

In a statement, it said: “Uefa wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment, and encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen.

“In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory, such decisions being determined on the basis of thorough risk assessments, which vary from match to match and take into consideration previous circumstances.”

Senior Government figures will meet on Friday to “see if there’s a way through” a ban on Israeli fans attending a football match in Birmingham, a minister has said.

Culture department minister Ian Murray told Sky News that the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending next month’s match against Aston Villa was the “wrong decision” by Birmingham’s safety advisory group.

Mr Murray told the broadcaster: “The Prime Minister and the Government have been clear about that. In fact, pretty much every politician has been clear about that.”

He added: “It’s just completely and utterly unacceptable, and the Prime Minister has said we will do everything we possibly can to resolve this issue.

“It’s an operational issue for the police, and Government doesn’t get involved in operational issues for the police.

“But I know the Culture Secretary of State (Lisa Nandy) will be meeting with the Home Office and other stakeholders today to try and see if there’s a way through this.”

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned a decision to ban supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv from their team’s match against Aston Villa as “the wrong decision”.

The prime minister joined calls for Birmingham City Council’s Safety Advisory Group and West Midlands Police to reverse the decision and allow Maccabi fans to attend the game.

He said on X: “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.”