Political leaders from Britain’s major parties have united in condemnation of West Midlands Police after the force issued a ban on supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv attending a match in Birmingham. Last night, Aston Villa said that the city’s Safety Advisory group had warned that fans of the Israeli club wouldn’t be permitted to attend the Europa League match next month.
West Midlands Police said they had backed the decision on public safety grounds, branding it “high risk”. The move has sparked instant political backlash, with the leaders of Britain’s four main political parties uniting to condemn the decision. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the move was antisemitic, with Kemi Badenoch blasting it as a “national disgrace”.
Sir Keir 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.”
Ms Badenoch, the Tory leader, asked “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.”
In a follow-up message this morning Ms Badenoch condemned the Prime Minister’s “weak” response, accusing him of failing to “stand up for Britain”.
She drew parallels with the ongoing Chinese spy row, tweeting: “Jewish fans banned from a football match, Keir Starmer says ‘it’s wrong’.
“Told a trial against alleged spies is about to collapse, Keir Starmer does nothing.
“Our weak Prime Minister keeps waiting for others to make the decision. He lacks the backbone to stand up for Britain.”
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said West Midlands Police had made “a serious mistake”, “You don’t tackle antisemitism by banning its victims. This decision must be reversed.”
Nigel Farage added: “This takes racial discrimination to a whole new level”.
Robert Jenrick said the move by the police vindicated his comments during Tory conference about the failure of integration in Birmingham.
The shadow Justice Secretary said: “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.”
Uefa told Reuters news agency: “In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory.”