Israelis should be welcome in Birmingham

[mids2019]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15206171/Parts-Birmingham-no-area-Jews-says-Ed-Miliband-ministers-scramble-allow-Israeli-fans-attend-Aston-Villa-football-match.html

The government need to act on this. West Midlands police have more than enough man power to police a football match with at most 1000 away fans. I watched West Midlands politics today and there was a politician brazenly saying part of the reason for effectively banning the Tel Aviv fans was they there was 'a moral point about Gaza'. We cannot have local councillors, community leaders and MPs agitating for the anti Semitic ban of fans of one of Israel's premier football teams.

We have to face reality want know that a lot of local residents are anti Israel and have taken this opportunity for VIlla Park to become a no go area for Jews.

Let's hope the decision is overturned and quickly.

The problem is the MP who brought about the petition Ayoub Khan is pro Palestine. If he was neutral to the gazan conflict their alleged concerns about safety would be believable.

His petitiion contains genocide allegations not just the pretend issues regarding safety. He has shot himself in the foot really and should have just submitted it as a public safety concern and left out his prejudices.

They have to allow supporters from both sides or none.

This. To claim otherwise is disingenuous.

Read the petition.

Why what have the villa fans done?

Hear, hear. That was the consensus amongst Jewish callers to Any Answers yesterday.
The leap to shout anti-Semism in any situation involving Israeli citizens diminishes its meaning.

Why is the membership of an organisation a condition?

But the petition doesn't just state it is about supporter behaviour, it used as a little platform to overshare the MP's feelings about the conflict as a whole even bizarrely mentioning Ireland and the threatened boycott <that word again> of the Eurovision song contest.

The petition isn't why they were banned though. That's a side issue that should be dealt with, but there has been absolutely nothing to suggest the Safety group would have made a different decision without the petition. He isn't the person who made the decision, any more than the people saying they must be allowed are.

The Safety group and police must not have to make, or change, decisions because of irrelevant (in terms of the decision) high profile petitions or statements. They must be allowed to make them on the same grounds as every other match decision.

It's very common in football for only the trouble making fans to be banned from away games so there is no need for the Villa fans to miss out.

The clear duty of the Birmingham police is to protect local residents, many of whom are Muslim. They will have carried out a very in-depth risk assessment with information you are not privy too. Based upon that information, they have clearly decided that a blanket ban is prudent.

I know nothing of a petition or platform, only the pragmatic decision by the police after risk assessment to prioritise the safety of local residents.

It's anti semitism and I bet my life that if it was any Israeli team looking to play there, this would have happened, football hooliganism or not. It's just a convenient excuse.

I don’t need to. Only respect the independent decision of the police.

Oh I think the MP's strong views may have had an impact on council and policing decisions.

Let's hope it's overturned anyway. The police need to do their job and not support this crap.

The police are doing their job and prioritising the safety of local residents.

It's really worrying that people want to excuse thuggery from Israelis

From the ME eye article linked above. I can't remember the outrage when Polish fans were banned at Aston Villa.

The ban is far from unprecedented. In November 2023 Aston Villa banned fans of another club, Legia Warsaw, from attending the match on the advice of West Midlands Police after supporters of the Polish club engaged in violence.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have a long track record of causing violence and disruption in European cities.

Amsterdam City Council recently banned Maccabi Tel Aviv from the Dutch capital after the club's fans caused mayhem by rampaging through the city in November, before and after their Europa League match against Ajax.

Not surprising though? If forced starvation, genocide, apartheid and the killing of tens of thousands of innocent children gains no sympathy nothing will.

Oh I think the MP's strong views may have had an impact on council and policing decisions.

Let's hope it's overturned anyway. The police need to do their job and not support this crap.

You can think that if you wish. They're not the first fans to be banned from matches, they won't be the last, I happen to think they're professional enough to make the decisions and not be swayed, in either direction, by a loud MP.

And there we have it. The problem is folk are conflating two issues and are using this banning as a way to object to Israel as a whole, under the guise of 'safety issues' when we all know it is because Jews are not welcome. People need to not be so blatant. We see you.

There hasn't been 'forced starvation, genocide or apartheid' rather a conflict started by terrorists that has caused the deaths.

If the police can manage protests every week with frothing people shouting hate then they need to man up and do it a football match as they have done for years.

No, people are objecting to a particular group of thuggish football fans with well-documented past form that have been banned by other cities.

It reinforces the idea that Israel wants separate rules for their citizens and anyone who has the right to citizenship.

And to claim that the police, who put their personal safety on the line every time they go to work, need to “man up” is abysmal.
Do you do that?

The ban was stated because the police couldn't protect the Tel Aviv fans, nothing to do with the fans themselves being dangerous. It’s shocking that in a democratic society, law abiding people are banned from anywhere. FWIW, I’m in Birmingham & this makes me feel the exact opposite of safe - police giving in to thuggery and bullying from a subset of the Birmingham community. It’s shameful.

I have minimal knowledge or interest in football, but it strikes me as ridiculous and inflammatory to have only one team permitted fans to attend a match. Why can they not just televise the match and keep all the fans out? That way everybody who needs to can see it and no safety risk or policing issues.
It's a no brainer surely?
Otherwise, this sets a precedent for yet more inflated prolonged police costs as per the weekly demonstrations in central London, we just don't have funds for this stuff at this point.

Agree....I imagine any large group of Israelis going to Birmingham wouldn't be safe... regardless of their behaviour.