Israeli Minister Speaks Out After Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans Banned From Aston Villa
Israel's Foreign Minister has furiously spoken out after Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from travelling to their away game against Aston Villa.
With back to back wins in their opening fixtures in the Europa League, Aston Villa have started their campaign Unai Emery's favourite competition perfectly.
In their next European outing, they face Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles before travelling back to Birmingham to host Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park.
Ahead of the game, Aston Villa released a statement to confirm that the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) had informed them that fans of the Israeli club would not be allowed to attend the UEFA Europa League match.
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And now, Gideon Sa'ar, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel, has spoken out to condemn the decision while calling for UK authorities to take action.
In anticipation of the Europa League game on November 6, SAG held a meeting in which West Midlands Police advised against allowing Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend.
"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 official statement from Aston Villa read.
After the decision was confirmed, Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke out to condemn it, labelling it as cowardly and shameful.
According to Sky News reporter Rob Harris, he said: "Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision!"
Later adding: "Another alarming sign of how British authorities are failing to ensure that Jews can participate safely & equally in public life ... instead of confronting the antisemitic hatred ... what does that say about the state of policing & public order"?
The decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the match came amid reported plans of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests set to take place in Birmingham ahead of the match.
It comes after Amsterdam was plagued by violence as a "toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger" surfaced surrounding the Europa League match between between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv - with more than 60 people arrested and five handed prison sentences.
However, it does not appear that this decision is not set in stone, as new reports have revealed that senior government officials will meet on Friday in an attempt to reverse the ban.
Keir Starmer speaks out against decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending Villa Park
Shortly after the announcement to ban to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was announced, Prime Minister Starmer spoke out to express his disappointment at the call and reiterate that antisemitism will not be allowed in the UK.
Sharing a link to a BBC article on his official X account, Starmer 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."
Meanwhile Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch labelled the decision a "national disgrace" with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage saying the decision "takes racial discrimination to a whole new level".
Topics:Â Aston Villa, Europa League, Football, UEFA
Ben McCrum