The decision that no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should attend the team’s match with Aston Villa at Villa Park on November 6 has been branded a “national disgrace” by Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch.
She said: “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.”
Former Minister for the West Midlands Lord Austin said: “I am appalled that West Midlands Police said that no away fans should be allowed to come to the match. It looks like they have capitulated to a campaign by trouble-makers and abdicated their responsibility to ensure people can go about their lawful business safely.
“Birmingham is a great international city. It welcomes visitors from all over the world, and they must be able to come in safely. International sport is one of our most important exports, and this has major implications for fixtures in the future. Birmingham is one of the venues for the European Championships in 2028, but the police’s decision must surely put that at risk if they are saying they can’t guarantee pubic safety.
“The Chief Constable must review this immediately, and I will be asking the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to ask him to do so.”
Shadow Sports Minister Louie French said: “Football and sports more generally have the enormous power of unifying people.
“This decision is a sad reflection of the antisemitism and sectarian hatred that the UK government has spectacularly failed to get a grip on. The Government must urgently seek to overturn this decision, sending a clear message that the UK remains open and safe for international sports fans.
“Any failure to do so will continue to undermine the Jewish community in Britain and jeopardise the UK’s ability to host future tournaments, which will damage the significant economic contribution that sports make to our economy.”
Labour MP Luke Akehurst said: “This is absolutely pathetic. If there is a threat to the safety of visiting Israeli fans, the job of the police is to protect them, not stop them attending.”
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY…
