Britain on road to ‘mob rule’ with Maccabi Tel Aviv ban | Politics | News
The failure of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend next month’s game at Villa Park will signal that Britain is moving towards “mob rule”, in a major speech by one of the country’s most influential Conservatives. Nick Timothy will argue that the Israeli club’s ban on fans attending the Birmingham club shows the UK is heading towards a future where “the state must police the borders between different ethnic and religious groups to prevent confusion”.
He will warn: “We must be clear that this means at best a more interventionist and dictatorial state, but more likely occasional violence and mob rule. Because the more the mafia learns that the threat of violence gets what it wants, the more the threats will keep coming and the more the mafia will get.”
Aston Villa announced on Thursday that the city’s Security Advisory Group (SAG) had decided that Maccabi Tel Aviv should not be allowed to participate in its Nov. 6 Europa League match, triggering outrage and alarm.
Former Hamas hostage Emily Damari said the decision was “like hanging a big sign outside the stadium saying ‘Jews not allowed’.”
Mr Timothy will speak at the Policy Exchange think tank on Monday, warning that “threats and fear of physical violence” pose a risk to the future of free expression in this country.
He will argue that there is a fear in the police and criminal justice system of “losing control on the streets”, saying: “Don’t confront agitators and thugs – such is the logic – instead meet them halfway.”
Mr Timothy, who served as Theresa May’s chief of staff, will claim that in this case “West Midlands Police capitulated rather than say the police would do whatever it took to make the city a safe place for Jews”.
He will warn of a situation where there will be “brute justice for those who belong to identity groups that play by the rules, and freedom from justice for those who belong to groups that want to take to the streets and threaten violence.”
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said: “Antisemitism is a stain on our society that shames us all” and promised that the Government would “do everything in its power to ensure all fans can attend the game safely”. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the ban as a “national disgrace”.
