The decision was made by Birmingham City Council, which chose not to issue a safety certificate for the match. However, West Midlands Police stated that they support the decision to prevent away supporters from attending. Aston Villa also confirmed the statement.

Amsterdam riots

The ‘previous incidents’ that the West Midlands police referred to include the riot in Amsterdam earlier this month. On 7 November, Ajax played Mac Tel Aviv in the Dutch city.

There has been widespread hostility towards Israel’s participation in international sport due to the genocide it’s currently carrying out against Palestine. However, the city’s authorities were reportedly reassured by the fact that Ajax has historically identified as a Jewish team. Nevertheless, the night descended into violent clashes between supporters, pro-Palestinian protesters, taxi drivers, and roving bands of thugs.

The day before the match, Maccabi fans attacked a taxi and a squat displaying Palestinian flags, threatening to kill the people inside. On the day itself, as mentioned earlier, footage shows Mac supporters tearing down Palestinian flags and chanting slogans including “gas Gaza”,  “kill the arabs”, and “there are no schools in Gaza, because all the children are dead”.

In the Johan Cruyff Arena, Tel Aviv supporters ignored a moment of silence for flood victims in Spain. Outside the stadium, one local filmed a crowd of MTA fans attacking locals in Amsterdam. Taxi drivers then attacked MTA fans, seeking revenge for the previous day. Footage also appears to show a car running over Israeli fans after mounting the curb.

There was some evidence of co-ordination for the violence – with one chat group reportedly referring to it as a “jew hunt”. British fans present during the violence also reported that “they were looking for Jews not just Israelis.” However, Amsterdam police reported that a distinction was made between Israeli fans and Jewish people in general.

‘The wrong decision’

Regarding the decision to prevent Tel Aviv supporters from attending the Aston Villa game, independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr Ayoub Khan stated that:

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.

However, other politicians were much less welcoming of the decision. Starmer said:

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.

Likewise, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted that Starmer should:

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.

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, stated that:

You don’t tackle antisemitism by banning its victims. This decision must be reversed.

Now, it appears that the government is actively intervening to bring in the Tel Aviv supporters. At 12:27 today, BBC News reported that a Downing Street spokesperson stated:

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is meeting officials to discuss what more can be done to try and find a way through to resolve this, and what more can be done to allow fans to attend the game safely.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, spoke to the local council this morning, and the Home Office is urgently working to support police to try and find a way through this.

The same old story

Like much of the British media in the wake of the Amsterdam riots, UK party leaders chose to focus solely on the violence against Tel Aviv fans, characterising it as wholly antisemitic. They chose to omit mention of the genocidal rhetoric, violence, and property damage carried out by the Maccabi supporters.

This is a microcosm of the way that UK MPs and the mainstream media has portrayed Israel and its citizens in general. They treat violence against Palestinians and their allies as unimportant and ignored. Meanwhile, all opposition to Israel is lumped together with vile antisemitism.

The Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture is high risk. The West Midlands police force is perfectly correct in its assessment there. The Tel Aviv fans have shown that they are perfectly happy perpetrating violence against the cities around them. The fact that Starmer and his fellow party leaders are determined to risk a riot just to show their support for Israel is nothing short of the most craven cowardice.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

This post was originally published on Canary.