From the Liveblog of
Friday, October 17, 2025
Emily Damari pans Aston Villa over ‘disgusting decision’ to bar Israeli fans from game
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Former hostage Emily Damari comes out against the decision by English soccer club Aston Villa to bar Israeli fans from its match against Maccabi Tel Aviv next month.
Damari, a dual British-Israeli citizen and fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv, says that Aston Villa’s “disgusting decision” represents the very opposite of what soccer stands for.
“I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK,” Damari writes on X.
“Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, color or religion and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite. Shame on you.”
Urging the club to “come to your senses and reconsider,” Damari likens Aston Villa’s announcement to “putting a big sign on the outside of the stadium saying ‘No Jews allowed.'”
I was released from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die hard fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK.
Football is a way of bringing people together… https://t.co/ngqsP2qbKI— Emily Damari (@EmilyDamari1) October 17, 2025
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