The recent ban of the attendance of Israeli club supporters at a UK football match has sparked heated debates, opinion clashes and controversy. Aston Villa’s UEFA Europa League match against Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, will be held at Villa Park in Birmingham. Due to safety concerns, Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), in consultation with West Midlands Police, announced on Thursday that no away fans will be permitted to attend. This decision follows incidents during a 2024 match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam, where violent clashes occurred between Israeli and pro-Palestinian supporters.

The ban was supported by MPs part of the pro-Gaza Independent Alliance in Parliament, with Independent MP Ayoub Khan, who represents Birmingham Perry Barr, accusing Tel Aviv fans of being “violent”. But there has been a backlash from key leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who criticised the move as “the wrong decision”. The ban was also labelled a “national disgrace” by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and a “shameful decision” by Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar.

UEFA, which oversees the Europa League, called on UK authorities to ensure that supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv would be allowed to attend the match. At the same time, some voices suggested that the Prince of Wales, who serves as patron of the Football Association and is a well-known supporter of Aston Villa, should issue a public statement on the matter.

The police said it believed the measure would “help mitigate risks to public safety” and that it remained “steadfast in our support of all affected communities, and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance on hate crime in all its forms”.

However, on Friday morning, West Midlands police and crime commissioner Simon Foster called for an “immediate review” of the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Birmingham.

Sir 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.”