Starmer slams Aston Villa for banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans 'over security threats'
The Prime Minister called it "the wrong decision" as Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told LBC that Britain must face up to the fact that Jews and Israelis in the UK “would feel in some way unsafe” at a football match
The Prime Minister has said it's "the wrong decision" for Aston Villa to block Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending their side's Europa League clash due to safety concerns.
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Aston Villa confirmed on Thursday that no away fans from the Israeli side are to attend the European tie due to security fears.
Sir Keir Starmer hit out at the decision - after the Israeli government told LBC it was an "extremely sad state of affairs".
The prime minister wrote 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."
When asked about the ban Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told LBC it was an "extremely sad state of affairs" that Jews and Israelis in Britain “would feel in some way unsafe” at a football match.
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“That is a problem that Britain must face up to,” he told Tom Swarbrick.
The instruction came from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) after West Midlands Police warned of potential public safety risks including protests on the night of November 6, threatening the safety of local residents and supporters outside the ground.
This is the wrong decision.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 16, 2025
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.https://t.co/8aBeqE4qbA
A club statement read: “Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group.
“The Safety Advisory Group are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.
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“Following a meeting (on Thursday) afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture.
“West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.
West Midlands Police defended the decision in a statement on Thursday night.
They said: "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.”
It comes in the wake of the anti-semitic terror attack on a Manchester synagogue in which two men died.
The devastating attack sent shockwaves through the Jewish community, with growing concerns for its safety following the incident.
Mr Mencer urged the government to stand up to extremism, arguing it is “nothing more, nothing less” than weakness when extremist voices are appeased.
He said: “On the day after a synagogue is attacked in Manchester, maybe it's not a good idea to scream 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' which is an anti-Semitic chant.”
It comes after a slew of pro-Palestine protestors were arrested after clashes with the police in the wake of the Manchester attack.
Local independent MP Ayoub Khan previously called for the match to be called off - or played behind closed doors - after violent scenes involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax supporters in Amsterdam last year.
Mr Khan told LBC News: "It's extremely pleasing news. When you saw the scenes in Amsterdam and the local council there had banned those fans from entering that town, it comes as no surprise to me.
"I'm sure local residents, local businesses in Birmingham, will be pleased to hear these fans will be banned from coming to watch this match. Now we can start to ease tensions, set aside political differences and get back to focusing on football".
The Police Federation also defended the decision to stop Maccabi fans attending the game.
Its national chair Tiff Lynch told LBC's Iain Dale: "I think it would come down to the threat, harm and risk element of the operation for the football match.
"Unfortunately with the numbers (of officers) that we've actually got working out there we haven't got that capacity to deal with every single incident. It's reality".