Birmingham MP defends ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa game

An MP has defended a decision to ban supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv from their team’s match against Aston Villa. Sir Keir Starmer has joined calls for Birmingham City Council’s Safety Advisory Group and West Midlands Police to reverse the decision and allow Maccabi fans to attend the game. The move to prohibit Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending their Europa League game at Villa Park on Thursday, November 6, was made amid public safety fears. Violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans erupted around the Uefa Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv last year. Ayoub Khan, Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr has defended the controversial decision. Speaking on Newsnight on Thursday (16 October), he said: “Maccabi Tel Aviv football club should not even be playing within this international competition.”