Israeli club Maccabi Tel-Aviv announced on Tuesday, October 21, that it will not send supporters to Birmingham for its Europa League match against Aston Villa on November 6, a fixture classified as high-risk. “The well-being and safety of our supporters is paramount and, based on hard lessons learned, we have decided to refuse any ticket allocation” for them, the club wrote on its website.
Relying on recommendations from British police, based “on recent intelligence and previous incidents,” including those in Amsterdam, Aston Villa had warned on October 16 that supporters of the Israeli club would not be permitted to attend the match. This decision, which is very rare in the United Kingdom, sparked a wave of criticism reaching the highest levels of government, with London stating the following day that it would “do everything” to ensure “all Israeli supporters” could be present.
“We hope the circumstances will change and look forward to playing in Birmingham in a sporting atmosphere in the near future,” Maccabi added in its statement, which praised the “efforts of the British government and the police.”
Working tirelessly to eliminate racism
This follows Israeli supporters being chased and assaulted in the streets of the Dutch capital during the night of November 7-8. Maccabi Tel-Aviv is actively working to maintain a positive and respectful sporting environment.
“It is clear that established groups are seeking to vilify the Maccabi Tel-Aviv fan community, the majority of whom have nothing to do with racism or hooliganism,” the club stated, affirming it is “working tirelessly to eliminate racism among the most extreme elements” of its supporters.
The UK’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport reminded the House of Commons that the final decision would rest with the police. She also stated that the country should be “appalled” by the situation, largely due to “the risk faced by Maccabi supporters because they are Israeli and because they are Jewish.”
Protests and heightened security at matches
The issue is sensitive in the UK following the attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on October 2, the day of Yom Kippur. Two worshippers were killed, and three others were seriously injured.
In Europe, and particularly in Birmingham (in central England), pro-Palestinian demonstrations are frequently organized around football matches involving Israeli teams, sometimes leading to clashes with police.
Maccabi’s decision also comes just after the cancellation of the derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv in the domestic league due to riots and incidents in and around the stadium where the match was being played. Approximately 30,000 people were evacuated from the venue.