The uproar in Britain over the decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the club’s Europa League away match against Aston Villa is not subsiding. The Home Affairs Committee of the British Parliament has written to West Midlands Police, the local Safety Advisory Group and the National Football Policing Unit, demanding further explanations of the process that led to the ban.
The decision to prevent Israeli fans from attending was made by the Safety Advisory Group on security grounds and based on a police recommendation. The move has drawn public criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called for the reasoning to be reexamined.
On December 1, West Midlands Police appeared before the committee and presented its considerations. The panel is now requesting additional clarifications, mainly because Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara said during the hearing that representatives of the Jewish community had asked that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters not be allowed to attend the match. After the session, the police walked back the statement and said there was no intention to suggest that anyone from the Jewish community supported excluding Maccabi fans.
Home Affairs Committee chair Karen Bradley wrote in an official letter to Chief Constable Craig Guildford, asking how the error occurred and stressing that misleading Parliament, even unintentionally, is a serious matter. The committee also requested the minutes of its three discussions on the issue and asked whether it considered an assessment by Lord Mann, the government adviser on antisemitism, related to disorder at a previous Maccabi match against Ajax.
West Midlands Police said it has received the committee’s letter and will respond accordingly. Outside Villa Park there was a visible presence of both pro Israel supporters and pro Palestinian demonstrators, but police thanked the public for remaining calm during the event.