Keir Starmer Responds After Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans Banned from Aston Villa Clash
Sir Keir Starmer has reacted after Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending the Europa League clash with Aston Villa at the start of next month.
Villa's next Europa League fixture is a trip to Go Ahead Eagles next week before they host the Israeli Premier League side at Villa Park on 6 November.
However, on Thursday, the club confirmed that no away fans will be present for the game - with the decision made following discussions with West Midlands Police and the Safety Advisory Group, who ruled that it is the best move to guarantee public safety with the fixture classed as "high risk".
An official 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.
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"The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.
"Following a meeting this 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.
"The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision."
Why have Maccabi Tel Aviv fans been banned?
West Midlands Police say they support the call based on "current intelligence and previous incidents" such as "violent clashes" during Maccabi Tel Aviv's trip to Ajax last year and believe the decision will "mitigate risks to public safety".
During the Europa League game in Amsterdam last year, the city was plagued by violence said to be driven by a "toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger" - with more than 60 people arrested and five handed prison sentences.
Reacting to the decision, the Prime Minister shared a link to a BBC article on his official X account and expressed disappointment.
He wrote: "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."
Following up, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the decision "takes racial discrimination to a whole new level" - while the Jewish Leadership Council said it is "perverse that away fans should be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can't guarantee their safety".
They also said Villa should "face the consequences" as they called for the game to be "played behind closed doors".
Similarly, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said it was "shameful" that away supporters were prohibited from attending.
However, Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, supported the move, stating: "From the moment that the match was announced, it was clear that there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage."
He told BBC's Newsnight that the Prime Minister was "clearly wrong" to speak out against the decision.
There were previously strong calls for UEFA to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv due to the conflict in Gaza but no such decision was reached.
Topics: Aston Villa, Europa League
Josh Lawless