Police ‘apologise to Jewish community’ over Tel Aviv fan ban claim
It was stated that the West Midlands Police chief did not want to imply to MPs that there were members of the Jewish community who openly supported the exclusion of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a football match.
The Israeli team’s decision not to allow fans to attend a Europa League match against Aston Villa in early November sparked political uproar, with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer “outraged by the decision”.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, Deputy Chief Constable Mike O’Hara and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster were questioned about their decision-making process by the home affairs committee on Monday.
Mr O’Hara told the panel that some Jewish community representatives had told them they did not want Maccabi fans to attend the game in Birmingham.
Times reported He has now written to community representatives in Birmingham to apologize.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said it was “not the officer’s intention to imply that there were members of the Jewish community who openly supported the exclusion of Maccabi fans.”
They added that the force expected further interaction with the committee and “will ensure this is expressed clearly, as is the case with representatives of the Jewish community.”
The Israeli embassy in London has previously said West Midlands Police’s use of “undisproved allegations” about the behavior of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans during a match in Amsterdam as evidence that they posed a threat to public safety in Birmingham was “highly misleading, deeply disturbing and risks escalating tensions”.
The decision by the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group (Sag), which brings together the council and the police, to ban fans was partly based on police intelligence.
This fixture had been classed as high risk by West Midlands Police, with police citing violent clashes and hate crime offenses during a 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
However, Dutch police disputed the accuracy of this information. Sunday Times reported.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “We recognize that this is a difficult time for our local Jewish community, which is why we have been and continue to be actively involved.
“At Monday’s HASC meeting, a number of questions were asked, often with several sections and secondary points raised.
“In answering these questions, the officer did not intend to imply that there were members of the Jewish community who openly supported the exclusion of Maccabi fans.
“We expect follow-up participation from HASC and will ensure this is expressed clearly, as is the case with representatives of the Jewish community.
“We have provided MPs with a full and comprehensive explanation of the information, intelligence and risk assessment process carried out before last month’s football match and we will continue to respond to follow-up questions asked by the HASC and actively engage with the wider work of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), commissioned by the Home Secretary.”
