West Midlands Police intelligence named “extreme” Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans as the main threat which led to the controversial ban on Israeli fans for their Europa Cup away game with Aston Villa in Birmingham.
In an exclusive story released by The Guardian, sources with knowledge of the details of the intelligence and risk assessments have told the newspaper that the Maccabi fans were considered to be the likely perpetrators of violent disorder.
According to sources, police intelligence said that many “extreme” Maccabi fans with a past history of violence and shouting “racist taunts” were expected to attend.
The intelligence also cited how Dutch police had informed UK police that it was the Israeli club’s fans that instigated the trouble in Amsterdam last November – referring to the violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
It also found that Maccabi fans randomly targeted Muslims to attack in Amsterdam, which then led to reprisal violence against some Dutch jews.
It didn’t consider whether the ban, when made public, would be criticised as antisemitic.
It comes amid efforts by the UK government to overturn the ban, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer hitting out at the move claiming it was “antisemitic.”
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Misinformation has been rife over the row, with Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also falsely claiming that it was “unprecedented” for away fans to be banned.
In fact, away fans being banned from attending a football match due to safety fears is a relatively common occurrence. For example, for the entirety of the 2023/2024 Scottish premiership season, Celtic and Rangers banned each others’ fans from attending away matches.
Also in November 2023, Legia Warsaw fans were involved in violent clashes with police outside Aston Villa’s stadium (Villa Park) in Birmingham ahead of their match in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
As a consequence, the away‑supporters of Legia Warsaw were banned from the club’s next five European away games.
The police intelligence also reportedly said that a community impact assessment by West Midlands Police recorded that some local Jewish residents wanted the Maccabi fans banned because of the trouble that might ensue if they attended. They also added that any trouble started by Maccabi fans attending the Birmingham game could lead to reprisals from local people and spark further trouble, as was the case in Amsterdam.
This latest intelligence further embarrasses the Labour government which has come under fire for prioritising Israeli football fans with a history of racism over the concerns of local British police and residents living in Birmingham.
Government humiliated
On Monday, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, spoke to Parliament, digging in on the controversial defence of the fans.
“This decision was not made in a vacuum. It is set against the backdrop of rising antisemitism here and across the world, and an attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two innocent men were killed.
“It has a real-world impact on a community who already feel excluded and afraid. It is therefore completely legitimate to support the independence of the police to conduct that risk assessment and to question the conclusion that follows when it excludes the people at the heart of that risk.”
Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com
She also hurled abusive criticism against independent Muslim MPs who backed the ban. Accusing them of engaging in divisive and sectarian politics.
The government had announced plans to force a reverse of the decision and allow Israeli fans to attend the game. However, this effort was thwarted after Maccabi Tel Aviv announced they would not sell tickets for the Europa League match regardless.
The reckless and controversial support by the Labour government for Israel is nothing new. Starmer’s government has come under fire, particularly from Muslims, over their support for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
On 11 October, 2023, Starmer famously said Israel “has the right” to withhold power and water from Gaza as Tel Aviv implemented a medieval style siege on the small Strip.
This, and a refusal to condemn or even acknowledge the unfolding genocide sparked a massive community wide push by Muslim voters to politically punish Labour in the 2024 general elections, which saw four pro-Gaza independent Muslim MPs elected in Labour stronghold seats.
