MP Ayoub Khan, who represents the area, had launched a petition to have the fans banned and praised the decision following the police announcement. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is angry about the decision and he intends to "do everything in his power to give Jewish communities the security they deserve, and as he has made clear, we think this is the wrong decision."
The Safety Advisory Group informed Aston Villa that no traveling fans would be allowed to attend the match. They said that after a "thorough assessment," the game was given the "high risk" classification."
"This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam," said the West Midlands Police. "Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety."
"The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process," the team said in a statement. "The safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents is at the forefront of any decision."
While the fans are being blamed for potential violence, it was an Islamic preacher in Birmingham that encouraged his followers to show "no mercy" to the Israeli fans.
Asrar Rashid told his followers during a lecture that "mercy has its time and place," but that was not during the upcoming match. "We safeguard the vulnerable from any type of exploitation. That is the character of a Muslim. A Muslim has rahma. Remember rahma is in its place, it's in its place when the Tel Aviv fans come to Birmingham in a few weeks," he said. He went on to say that bets lost to Tel Aviv fans should not be honored, just the winnings.
"We will not show them rahma in Birmingham, but it has its time and place, yes? So in the Hadith it states: 'Those who show mercy, the merciful will show… have mercy on those on the earth. The one in the heavens will have mercy on you,'" Rashid said.
The move to ban the fans was roundly criticized by elected leaders. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "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."
MP for Droitwich and Evesham, Nigel Huddleston, asked for an investigation, saying, "A terrible decision. Football and sport has enormous power to unite. This decision gives in to the forces of hatred and division. Are we seriously saying that in modern Britain we cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish people on our streets and in our sports grounds? I'm not OK with that. Every effort should be made by all stakeholders to overturn this decision and I have asked the Culture Secretary to intervene."
The decision follows an incident last year in Amsterdam where there was violence after a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax over the war between Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas. A ceasefire in that war went into effect last week after it was negotiated by the Trump administration.
A fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv who was also a hostage of Hamas released a statement on X, saying "I was released from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die hard fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"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."
In so doing, she shared a statement from Khan who said he "welcomed" the banning of the fans and claimed that "from the moment that the match was announced, it was clear that there were latent safety risks... With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures."
In praising the banning of Israeli fans from the match, Khan claimed that "now is the time to ease tensions, set aside political differences, and focus on the football once more."
Khan didn't just support the ban after the fact, he encouraged it, having put up a petition "to oppose the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from coming to Birmingham and then into the Aston Villa stadium." He said that residents and businesses had "expressed concern" about the fans coming to Birmingham at all. He, too, blamed the fans for "violence" "hatred" and "racism."
It was those fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv who were attacked in Amsterdam in November 2024 after a match against Ajax. Local police said that there was an unjustified "outburst of violence toward Israeli supporters" following the match, some of whom had to be hospitalized. It was the visiting fans who were attacked and pelted with fireworks. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans chanted "f*ck you Palestine" in response.
The fans were further met with a pro-Palestinian protest that coincided with the game and local Islamists talked of "going to hunt down Jews." Jews were told to not wear obvious signs of their religion and rescue flights were chartered to bring them home.
