Supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv have been barred from attending the Europa Conference League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park, Birmingham, on 6 November, after local police and authorities cited security concerns. The move has been widely condemned as a sign of Britain’s growing struggle with antisemitism.

Aston Villa announced that “no away fans may attend” the fixture following “discussions with UEFA, the police and the Safety Advisory Group.” The Safety Advisory Group (SAG), made up of police, fire, ambulance, and local authority representatives, advised on security but has no statutory power to enforce such a ban.

Ayoub Khan, Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, publicly celebrated the decision, posting: “Delighted that Israeli fans are being kept out. They have no place here.” Khan, who built his political career campaigning on a “Gaza ticket” in Birmingham’s Muslim-majority wards, represents the constituency that includes Villa Park. His remarks have intensified questions over whether local political sentiment, including his own stance on Jewish supporters, may have influenced the SAG’s recommendation.

The ban comes amid a surge of hostility toward Jews in the United Kingdom. Birmingham has one of the country’s largest Muslim populations, and recent weeks have seen a spike in antisemitic incidents, including a terror attack on a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur. The attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born British citizen, was on bail for rape charges and reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State during the assault.

Further controversy followed when Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, urged UEFA to ban all Israeli teams, invoking claims of “genocide” and “apartheid.” Sultana has previously faced accusations of antisemitism over her social media posts and public remarks.

Jewish groups say the decision to exclude fans of the away team, rather than provide adequate policing, reflects a pattern of appeasement in the face of radical pressure. Civil society leaders warn that public officials appear increasingly unwilling to confront antisemitic agitation for fear of political backlash. Britain’s retreat from equal protection under the law, they argue, now risks normalising open intimidation of its Jewish community. The events in Birmingham reveal a political class hesitant to confront hatred within powerful voting blocs — a hesitation that, left unchecked, will erode the country’s long-held tradition of pluralism and fairness.