Starmer urged to apologise as MP says rioting by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans justifies their ban from Aston Villa game – UK politics live
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Tel Aviv Derby Abandoned After Fan Violence Injures 15
Above: Maccabi's supporters at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Sept. 24, 2025. Image copyright: Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Israel narrative
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have repeatedly proven they're violent hooligans who terrorize European cities with racist chants and brutal attacks. These thugs chant "death to Arabs" and "no children left in Gaza," assault people carrying Palestinian flags, and turn stadiums into arenas of hate rather than sport. The recent Tel Aviv derby violence proves this isn't about religion — it's about protecting communities from dangerous extremists.
Pro-Israel narrative
Banning Israeli football fans is a shameful capitulation to antisemitism and sets a dangerous precedent for excluding Jewish people from public events. British police are essentially admitting they cannot protect Jewish supporters from violent mobs, creating no-go zones that undermine the fundamental principles of liberal democracy. This cowardly decision emboldens extremists and marks Britain as unsafe for Jews while rewarding those who threaten violence.