'The wrong decision' - UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer criticises order to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa's Europa League clash

The decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Europa League tie has been criticised by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who said: "Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision!"

And UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has echoed the sentiment of Sa'ar. Starmer believes that the role of the police is to prevent fan violence so that supporters can safely attend the game. Aston Villa host Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League in early November and there has already been fan trouble involving the Israeli side in the competition this season.

Around 120 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans travelled to PAOK under police protection last month amid pro-Palestine protests outside of the stadium. It was similar in Norway and Italy over the international break as Israel fell to respective 5-0 and 3-0 defeats, with striker Erling Haaland on hand to bag a hat-trick as Norway all but secured their 2026 World Cup spot. 

Starmer believes it's the wrong decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending Villa Park next month, stating on X: "This is the wrong decision. We will not allow antisemitism in our streets. The police's role is to ensure that every fan who wants to come and enjoy the game can do so, without fear of threats and violence."

Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch also criticised the choice by the West Midlands police to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from travelling to the Villa next month and called on Starmer to reverse the decision. "This is a national disgrace," Badenoch, quoting the official Aston Villa account, started on an X post on Thursday evening.

"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."

However, the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans has been welcomed by some members of parliament. Ayoub Khan, the Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: "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.

"With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures." The West Midlands police made the decision as they felt the game was classified as high risk based on previous incidents, stating in a statement: "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. Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety.

"We remain steadfast in our support all affected communities, and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance on hate crime in all its forms."

The force also said it had concerns about how to handle potential protests at the game itself.

Former Labour MP Lord Ian Austin, who is a season ticket holder at Villa Park and a close political ally of the Jewish community, stated: "I am appalled that West Midlands Police said that no away fans should be allowed to come to the match. It looks like they have capitulated to a campaign by trouble-makers and abdicated their responsibility to ensure people can go about their lawful business safely.

"Birmingham is a great international city. It welcomes visitors from all over the world and they must be able to come in safety. International sport is one of our most important exports and this has major implications for fixtures in the future. 

"Birmingham is one of the venues for the European Championships in 2028 but the police's decision must surely put that at risk if they are saying they can't guarantee pubic safety. The Chief Constable must review this immediately and I will be asking the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to ask him to do so."