Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have been denied the opportunity to purchase tickets for their upcoming Europa Conference League match against Aston Villa, the club has announced. This decision comes amidst concerns over fan safety due to escalating tensions and divisive narratives surrounding the event.

In an extensive statement, Maccabi Tel Aviv highlighted their inability to ensure the safety of their supporters. They pointed to the involvement of controversial figures and the spread of harmful falsehoods and incendiary commentary as key reasons for this unfortunate situation.

The match, scheduled for November 6 at Aston Villa’s home ground, Villa Park, has already been embroiled in controversy. The Birmingham Safety Advisory Group, with support from West Midlands Police, previously decided to ban all visiting fans, citing security intelligence and past incidents as justification for their decision.

This ruling has sparked significant backlash, drawing criticism from leaders across the political landscape. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vehemently opposed the decision, labeling it as incorrect and asserting, “We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets.” His comments reflect a broader discontent with the measures taken against the Maccabi supporters.

Adding to the ongoing debate, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy expressed the Government’s commitment to addressing the issue. She assured that resources would be allocated to ensure “all fans” could attend the match, offering a glimmer of hope that the ban may yet be reconsidered.

However, the club said it had been left with no choice but to pull out of the away allocation, warning of a ‘toxic atmosphere’ fuelled by falsehoods and dangerous rhetoric.

In their statement tonight, Maccabi claimed ‘various entrenched group’ had sought to exploit isolated incidents ‘for their own social and political ends’ and reiterated that most of its fans ‘have no truck with racism or hooliganism of any kind’. 

Fans of Israeli club Maccabi have been banned from watching their team at Aston Villa next month

Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv pictured ahead of their UEFA Europa League match against Ajax in Amsterdam last year 

‘Our fans regularly travel all over Europe without incident and to suggest that the reason our fans cannot be allowed to travel is due to their behavior is an attempt to distort reality and to excuse the real underlying reasons for the decision to ban our fans. Our fans, the Jewish community know all too well this tactic and all are too familiar with where it can lead,’ the statement read. 

‘We are also concerned about the intervention of divisive figures who do not represent the values of our Club. We condemn all abhorrent views that have no place in football.

‘As a result of the hate-filled falsehoods, a toxic atmosphere has been created which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt. Inflammatory rhetoric, trafficking in half-truths is never healthy, but in this particular case the remarks being generated are of the most concerning variety.

‘Not for Maccabi Tel Aviv or football, but for the sake of society and its underlying values, maybe the agendas involved here should be looked at more closely.

‘The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.

‘We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.’

The statement was released by the Israeli club hours after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy branded Ayoub Khan, the Birmingham MP who has led efforts to halt the match, as ‘entirely disingenuous’ in a heated House of Commons exchange.

She also promised the Government would find the resources needed to ensure fans of the Israeli club can attend their upcoming Europa League game in Britain.

Ayoub Khan (pictured), the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr who has led efforts to halt Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Aston Villa

The Prime Minister took to social media to condemn the decision on Thursday night

Mr Khan, an ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, last month launched a petition over the upcoming match.

The petition called for the game to be cancelled entirely, relocated to a ‘neutral third country’, or to be held behind closed doors. 

It stated the game is ‘not a normal football match’ due to the ‘ongoing genocide in Gaza’, while also expressing fears about a ‘track record of violence’ by Maccabi fans.

‘Their arrival in Aston – a diverse and predominantly Muslim community – poses a real risk of tensions within the community and disorder,’ added the petition, which was also signed by Mr Corbyn.

Mr Khan later celebrated the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the game as he thanked all those who had backed the petition.

The Government is pressuring West Midlands Police to overturn the decision to ban supporters of the Israeli club from the match amid a widespread outcry.

Ms Nandy told MPs on Monday that the Government was continuing to work with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council ‘to support them to consider all the options available, and to tell us what resources are needed to manage the risks, to ensure fans from both teams can attend safely’.

‘If the assessment is revised, the safety advisory group will meet again to discuss options,’ the Culture Secretary added.

‘It is not for the Government to assess the risks surrounding this football match.

‘But we are clear that resources will not be the determining factor in whether Maccabi Tel Aviv fans can be admitted, and that this fundamental principle that nobody in our country will be excluded from participating in public life because of who they are must be upheld.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has branded it the ‘wrong decision’, adding: ‘We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets.’

The Government has said it is ‘completely unacceptable’ that the Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv has been ‘weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us’.

The Israeli side said it will decline any tickets offered to their fans for the game at Villa Park after a political row erupted over safety.

‘The Government has been working around the clock to defend a basic principle – that football fans should be able to enjoy a game without fear of intimidation or violence,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so.

‘It is completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us. We will never tolerate antisemitism or extremism on our streets.

‘We will continue to work closely with the police to ensure that this game goes ahead safely, and that Jewish communities across this country get the safety and security they deserve.’