Last week, police and public safety bodies announced that visiting supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv would not be allowed to attend the match against Aston Villa, scheduled for November 6 in Birmingham, citing serious security concerns.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer quickly condemned the move, calling it the wrong decision. “The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation,” Starmer wrote on social media. Three days later, Israeli authorities themselves canceled a local Maccabi match over rioting and “risks to human life.”
While UK mainstream media and establishment politicians attacked local security bodies, implying their decision amounted to giving in to antisemitism, public opinion largely supported the ban. A dedicated poll found that over 40% of respondents agreed with the decision, compared to 28% who opposed it. Nearly half of Labour supporters sided with the police on this.
The gap between the Labour government and public opinion is hardly new, but the government’s reaction to the decision highlights its ongoing support for Israel throughout the genocide in Gaza. For two years, British authorities have facilitated arms exports to Israel, including parts for F-35 fighter jets, and conducted intelligence flights over Gaza. At the same time, they ramped up repression against solidarity movements, equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. This most recent episode is another example of the same logic at work.
Calls for sports boycott
Evidence of Maccabi supporters’ violence and racism is well documented. Almost exactly a year ago, fans rampaged through Amsterdam, attacking locals, tearing down Palestine solidarity banners, and chanting “Death to Arabs” as they marched through the city. “The club’s ultras are synonymous with violence and virulent racism,” MP Zarah Sultana wrote in Tribune.
“Their hooliganism isn’t separate from Israeli militarism – many of these fans are active or former soldiers who’ve taken part in the assault on Gaza,” she added. Maccabi supporters have sent “care packages” to Israeli soldiers implicated in war crimes and were filmed chanting, “Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left.” In response, Sultana and other progressives insist, Starmer’s government should not go out of its way to override Birmingham’s safety concerns, but rather investigate Maccabi supporters for potential complicity in war crimes if they travel to Britain.
Read more: The reality of the Zionist outrage in Amsterdam
Many on the left are also calling for the cancellation of the match altogether and for Israeli clubs to be suspended from international competitions in response to the ongoing occupation and genocide in Palestine. “Allowing Israeli football teams to compete in international competitions sanitizes its horrific atrocities against Palestinians and allows Israel to cynically present itself as a normal country,” the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) stated.
PSC’s template open letter, addressed to Aston Villa, the Football Association, and UEFA, emphasizes that Israel’s genocide has erased Gaza’s footballing infrastructure. “In the occupied West Bank, Israel has systematically targeted Palestinian sports infrastructure, while its military invasions of towns and refugee camps have killed scores of Palestinian footballers,” the network warned.
Read more: Mo Salah slams UEFA tribute to Palestinian football icon Suleiman Al-Obeid
Despite documented violence by Maccabi fans, it was those calling for boycotts or accountability to face attacks from Britain’s political center and right. Among those targeted were Birmingham MP Ayoub Khan and Sultana herself. Nevertheless, the boycott call remains strong. “We need a sporting and cultural boycott of all Israeli teams, like we saw for South African teams under apartheid,” wrote Mothin Ali of the Green Party. “International sporting bodies can and must take a stand when basic human rights are being violated.”
Meanwhile, Starmer’s government appears determined to ensure Maccabi fans will be allowed into the stadium in November. The far right has also seized the moment: agitator Tommy Robinson urged his followers to rally in support of Maccabi fans next month. Anti-racist and left-wing groups, in turn, have announced counter-events to confront both local far-right groups and Zionist violence.
The post Starmer pushes for Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend match despite violent, racist record appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.
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