Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban may have been politically influenced, say MPs
A parliamentary committee has concluded that local political pressure may have influenced the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from attending an Aston Villa match.
The Home Affairs Committee said Birmingham councilors had a “disproportionate opportunity to exercise influence”, undermining confidence that the decision was based on evidence and security.
Fans were banned from attending the match at Villa Park on 6 November by the local safety advisory group (SAG) due to safety concerns based on advice from West Midlands Police (WMP).
A subsequent investigation revealed that an “AI hallucination” created by Microsoft Copilot helped police justify the ban.
Copilot mistakenly referred to a non-existent match between Tel Aviv and West Ham.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford resigned from his post due to serious pressure following the row.
In a new report into the debate, the Home Affairs Committee said it could not rule out the possibility that political pressure played a role in the decision.
The report stated that WMP’s concerns about disorder “combined with domestic political pressure and social tensions related to the international situation” led to this move.
The report continued: “While we cannot conclude that the Security Advisory Group’s decision was driven by political pressure, we certainly cannot conclude, based on the evidence we have seen, that the decision was not influenced by political influences.
“On this occasion, it is clear that councilors with a specific political agenda have a disproportionate opportunity to influence the Security Advisory Group decision-making process on a highly contentious political issue.
“While the presence of elected politicians on Security Advisory Groups provides potential benefits in terms of local representation, it also carries the risk of decision-making becoming politically motivated and undermining confidence in the process.”
The group of MPs said the Cabinet Office should ban local councilors from sitting in SAGs.
Dame Karen Bradley, Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, said: “Deciding to ban fans from attending a match is an extraordinary measure, especially in the cultural and political climate in which this takes place.
“Rebuilding trust is vital. West Midlands Police must repair the damage done by working hard to reach out to local communities, particularly Jewish communities.
“They must also ensure that there is a cultural shift in decision-making where assumptions are tested and evidence is thoroughly checked.”
Elsewhere, the committee criticized ministers, including the prime minister and the home secretary, for escalating tensions by criticizing the move too late.
The government intervened after the decision to suspend fans was made public, escalating the situation and was “ineffective” in ensuring the participation of Israeli fans.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport were told on 8 October 2025, a week before the decision was announced, that Maccabi fans would likely be banned.
The committee concluded that fans of the Israeli team could still have come “had the government specifically intervened at this point”.
On the day the decision was made public, Sir Keir Starmer posted on X, calling it the “wrong decision” and saying the Government “will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets”.
The same day, Shabana Mahmood reported on X that the Government was “doing everything we can to ensure all fans can attend the match safely”.
The report concluded that public interventions had increased the profile of the subsequent fixture, which “increased the risk”.
