LONDON: The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has welcomed the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending their upcoming UEFA Europa League match at Aston Villa but says the fixture itself should be canceled.
In a statement issued on Friday, PSC said the ban should be understood in the context of what it described as the club’s “track record of committing racist violence” in cities hosting their games, as well as Maccabi Tel Aviv’s alleged involvement in Israel’s apartheid system.
The campaign group pointed to chants reportedly used by some Maccabi fans, including: “Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left there,” referencing the deaths of Palestinian children in the conflict.
PSC argued that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s criticism of the fan ban shows “he expects Birmingham residents to tolerate racist incitement and expects police to provide cover for it,” adding that this reflects “blatant anti-Palestinian racism.”
The group also cited previous incidents of violence involving Maccabi supporters, including clashes in Amsterdam last season, where fans attacked residents and attempted to assault a taxi driver.
