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.

Season ticket holder here - I won't be attending. Even if the away fans are banned I think there's going to be protests from pro Palestinian groups. A lot of people who sit near me have said the same. I would hope that people of all faiths and none are welcome at Villa Park. We do actually have a Jewish supporters group linked to the club and I hope all the members feel able to attend if they wish

Yes. Not sure about Turkey but Warsaw fans received a 5 match ban from UeFA in 2023 for violent behaviour. It’s by no means unprecedented. I don’t suppose every single fan was violent in that case either but that’s just bad luck for them.

Are they proven, violent thugs any more than any other team?

As far as I know there are teams which attract disorderly fans. But I don’t recall any Israeli teams being mentioned. I googled and it looks like Polish and Turkish fans have the worst track record. Are they banned from travelling to games?

Legia Warsaw fans were banned from European matches after their behaviour last year (coincidentally at Villa park).

Frankfurt fans are banned from their match in Napoli in this round due to the behaviour of both sets of fans.

Yes, I do.

Why would they not be, in England’s second city?

The government, with access to resources unavailable to the public, proscribed a group with a history of criminal damage, personal injury and dubious funding, and that judgement has been questioned, as this one is.

Perhaps some well meaning pensioners could turn up in maccabi colours just to make a point.

But they haven’t banned all Israelis they’ve banned football hooligans.

Maccabi fans are racist thugs, why should they be welcome when they make monkey noises at black people, and their own black players to add! Chanting horrible things to Arabs? They are aggressive! Is that okay? If it were a Turkish or South African team fans would you want a ban lifted?

On the other hand have Maccabi fans been targets of anti-semitism, yes and it’s disgraceful. It’s also a sad state of affairs that if they were allowed to come the police couldn’t guarantee their safety as they know its likely to get violent between them and pro-pals.

If the situation between Palestine and Gaza wasn’t happening, I imagine it would be a different story, but there are obvious tensions in the UK with Israeli’s - because some people can’t separate Netanyahu the maniac and his cronies from Israeli citizens and Jews who have done nothing wrong.

I do still think its best the football fans are banned, whatever you think the reason is, if it stops violence then good, I don’t feel sorry for the Macabbi fans, they are awful, but I do feel sad that some people would target them just for being Israeli

Oh I wonder why? Perhaps, for example, an MP harping on about 'genocide' in abither country may just inflame residents a teensy bit don't you think?

Absolutely. Police are happy to police tens of thousands of pro-pally terrorism support. Which reminds me.. where are they all now?? Not marching for all the innocent Gazans being publicly executed by Hamas?

It's like if you try and crack down on anyone with Israeli roots or citizenship for their problematic behaviour, it is seen as an attack on all Israelis and then in turn, all Jewish people. Just by expecting one group of people who happen to be Israeli to follow basic social rules and laws.

'On the other hand have Maccabi fans been targets of anti-semitism, yes and it’s disgraceful'

'On the other hand' yes it is indeed disgraceful.

The whole thing is of course a massive problem because of gaza and Israel. Someome with some comon semse in Birmingham should have seen this coming and just said weeks ago no fans on either side to prevent this whole circus.

The Maccabi fans were thugs and totally let themselves down. They behaved very badly and screamed "antisemitism" when called out on it.
Much like Netanyahu and certain IDF members.

Something wrong with what I said? Can I not disagree with the actions of football hooligans but also agree that they are also targets of anti-semitism?

I googled these. It doesn’t look quite so straightforward.

The Euro football authorities banned the sale of tickets to Warsaw fans for five future matches and fined the club.

The Euro football authorities refused to allow the Napoli game to be moved and it was the Italian authorities that banned the sale of tickets to residents of Frankfurt. (Which would allow fans with a different address to go.)

Has UEFA ever banned ticket sales to Maccabi fans?

And the British authorities haven’t banned Maccabi fans. The club did on the advice of police and a council safety committee. We know that the PM and Home Secretary oppose the ban.

Why would Villa fans be punished for the actions of Tel Aviv fans?

But that's not the reason given is it?

The independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr Ayoub Khan, which called for the match to be halted and for a boycott of Israeli teams playing in the UK stated:

“This is not a normal match, and one reason that's given is that the Maccabi fans are arriving in Aston, a diverse and predominantly Muslim community.”

So no reference to alleged football hooliganism.

Of course I can see that many objectors that are rightly now being called out for blatant anti semitism for pushing that Birmingham should be a no go area for people of certain faith or nationality are now back peddling and trying to claim that it's solely due to football hooliganism and nothing to do with them being Jewish or Israeli - but no one with half a mind is buying that BS.

So, you’re basically saying out loud and presumably with a straight face, without actually putting it in to words, on a thread where the premise is it’s wrong to discriminate against all Israeli football fans because of the behaviour of some and that that is anti-Semitic that Israelis are not safe in Birmingham, because Muslims.

Jesus H Christ. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

The Euro football authorities banned the sale of tickets to Warsaw fans for five future matches and fined the club.

Yes, the question was have polish or Turkish teams been banned - Legia Warsaw got a longer ban from UEFa because of the seriousness of the damage done at Villa park and because it was a repeat offender

The Euro football authorities refused to allow the Napoli game to be moved and it was the Italian authorities that banned the sale of tickets to residents of Frankfurt. (Which would allow fans with a different address to go.)

Has UEFA ever banned ticket sales to Maccabi fans?

And the British authorities haven’t banned Maccabi fans. The club did on the advice of police and a council safety committee. We know that the PM and Home Secretary oppose the ban.

The authorities in Napoli who banned the Frankfurt fans are the same as here - it is not the club who have banned the MTA fans. The Safety advisory Group, who issue the safety cert allowing matches to go ahead, which comprises of local authorities, police, other emergency services and the likes have banned them. The club cannot allow away fans in if they have no safety certificate allowing them to do so.

In Napoli it's their police and local authorities who made the decision to ban the German fans, not the Italian authorities overall. The reason UEFA got involved in that is because EF asked for a neutral venue because banning away fans is becoming very common in matches again Italian teams.

So why do Jewish schools and synagogues have such stringent security measures? Everywhere in the UK I mean. Why do we have to keep secret addresses where Jewish events will be held?

At least you’ve the balls to actually say what you mean and not try to dance around it.

I don’t know. Have there been more attacks on these institutions than their Islamic counterparts?

I would be pleased if you would address my previous reply to you, blatant anti-Muslim sentiment on your part, rather than what about?

But it's the truth- all this new found concern about football hooliganism is bollocks.

Imagine if say a Black History month event in Bristol was cancelled because of concerns over racist attacks or a Pride event in Newcastle being cancelled because of concerns over homophobic attacks - there would be uproar and rightly so.

Proportionally yes there have been.