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British-Israeli woman Emily Damari, who was freed from Hamas captivity in January, has spoken out about her favorite team Maccabi Tel Aviv not being able to attend a football match in England.
The team’s English rival, Aston Villa, announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match to be played in Birmingham, England on November 6, due to security concerns, amid frequent pro-Palestinian protests.
So Damari can’t watch.
Damari wrote: “I was released from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die-hard Maccabi Tel Aviv fan. I am shocked to my core by this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and friends from attending an Aston Villa match in the UK. Football is a way of bringing people together, regardless of their faith, color or religion, and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite. Shame on you. I hope you come to your senses and reconsider.” X.
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British-Israeli former hostage of Hamas, Emily Damari, attends her first Tottenham football match since it was broadcast during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Crystal Palace FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on May 11. (Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
People walk towards Israeli military helicopters as three female hostages Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attacks, return to Israel on January 19, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
“I wonder exactly what British society has become; it’s like putting a big sign outside the stadium saying ‘No Jews allowed’. What happened to the UK, where open antisemitism is the norm? What a sad world we live in.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the police’s recommendation that fans of the visiting team should not be allowed into the match on November 6 was appropriate. “wrong decision” and “the duty of the police is to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Starmer spokesman Geraint Ellis said on Friday that the “prime minister was angered by the decision” and that the government was urgently seeking to overturn it.
Birmingham’s elected official, Simon Foster, who is responsible for overseeing and holding local policing to account, also called for an “immediate review”, while local Mayor Richard Parker also called on officials to find a “workable solution”, which could include the government covering some police costs.
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Maccabi Tel Aviv fans light flares and chant slogans before the UEFA Europa League football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 7, 2024. (Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam before and during the football team’s match against Ajax last year. More than a dozen people have already been charged with violence and many more have already been convicted after a series of violent incidents that occurred overnight.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have been a frequent sight at Maccabi Tel Aviv matches in 2025.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Aston Villa will be the team’s first away game in the Europa League following pro-Palestinian protests against PAOK at the stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, on September 24.
Around 120 fans of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for this match and were held behind a police cordon before entering the pitch.
Aston Villa released a statement regarding the decision.
“The club is in constant dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities throughout the ongoing process, and the safety of fans attending the match and the safety of the local community is at the forefront of any decision,” the statement said. The statement was included.
Aston Villa’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is just the latest example of restrictions placed on Israeli sports teams and their fans in recent months.
Fans with Israeli flags line up outside the Stade de France ahead of the UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel in Saint-Denis, France, November 14, 2024. (Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Indonesian government Israelis have been denied visas to enter the country for the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which starts on Sunday.
Prime Minister of Israel The technical cycling team has been removed from the Giro dell’Emilia race in Italy, scheduled for October 4, due to potential disruption. Pro-Palestinian protests
It has been reported that the UEFA Europa League, Europe’s largest football body, is moving towards a vote in September to suspend Israel due to the war in Gaza.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on 3 October that no action would be taken against the team. He later reportedly met privately with Palestinian football federation leader Jibril Rajoub at FIFA headquarters and praised his organization “for the resilience they are showing at this time,” according to The Associated Press.
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Minister Donald Trump He oversaw the historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last week.
As part of the ceasefire, Hamas released the remaining 20 hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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