Supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv will likely travel to Aston Villa next month for a Europa League match after indications from a Cabinet Minister that the ban preventing fans from attending will be lifted. Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, emphasized that Villa Park cannot be considered a “no-go area” for Jews, reports BritPanorama.
Authorities in Birmingham faced mounting pressure following the initial announcement of the ban, which was based on safety concerns. West Midlands Police classified the match as high-risk due to “current intelligence and previous incidents.”
Miliband, speaking to Sky News, stated, “I am giving you a clear indication of what we are working towards, which is that fans from both teams can attend the match.” He firmly rejected the idea that Villa Park should be deemed a no-go zone for Jews, affirming, “No, and it can’t be, and I’m very, very clear about that.”
He further criticized any notion that could label areas as no-go zones based on religious or national identities, stating, “We cannot have a situation where any area is a no-go area for people of a particular religion or from a particular country, and we’ve got to stamp out all forms of prejudice, antisemitism, Islamophobia, wherever we find them.”
Miliband responded to a petition from independent MP Ayoub Khan, which advocated for postponing the match and called for a boycott of Israeli teams in the UK. He voiced his strong disagreement with the petition’s sentiments.
Highlighting community sentiments, Miliband suggested that the “vast majority of Muslim people in this country would disassociate themselves” from the implication that fans could be barred from attending due to Villa Park’s demographics. He emphasized that “integration is not something you can ever take for granted” when questioned about the lack of integration potentially contributing to the concerns.
An action plan from West Midlands Police is anticipated to be released this week, detailing conditions necessary for both sets of fans to safely attend the match. Birmingham’s safety advisory group, comprising council and police force representatives, will address this issue in a meeting planned for early next week.
In response to the ban, shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho condemned the police’s decision as a “disgrace.” She pointed out that policing in the UK has successfully ensured safety at high-profile events like the Notting Hill Carnival, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public safety at such gatherings.
Last week, a spokesperson for Number 10 revealed that Sir Keir Starmer expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to bar the fans from attending the match.
