UK ‘saddened’ by Maccabi Tel Aviv’s refusal of away tickets amid concerns of violence against fans

Britain’s government says it is saddened that Maccabi Tel Aviv had turned down its ticket allocation for an upcoming game at Aston Villa, even as ministers worked to overturn a police decision to ban traveling fans.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had said it was wrong to ban away supporters from the Europa League match in the central English city of Birmingham on November 6 after local police expressed concerns about potential trouble.

But Maccabi said yesterday the “toxic atmosphere” put its fans at too much risk.

A British government spokesperson says it has been working round the clock to defend the principle that fans should be able to enjoy a game without fear of intimidation of violence.

“We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so,” the spokesperson says.

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

Birmingham has been the scene of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian rallies since the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas began.

A number of British left-wing independent and Green politicians backed the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, with some calling for the wider exclusion of Israeli teams from international competitions.