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Police retract suggestion Jewish leaders backed fan exclusion
West Midlands Police have apologized after an officer's testimony to MPs appeared to imply Jewish community representatives supported barring Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match. The force now says the remark was unintentional.
What the officer told Parliament
Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara told the Home Affairs Committee on Monday that "a range of faiths, backgrounds and ethnicities" had expressed concerns about Maccabi fans attending the 6 November Europa League tie at Villa Park. When pressed by Conservative MP Karen Bradley, he confirmed Jewish representatives were among those voices.
"Were members of the communities saying they did not want the Maccabi fans there, and did that include any Jewish representatives?" Bradley asked. O'Hara replied, "Yes."
Clarification and apology
A police spokesperson later stated the officer "never intended to imply" Jewish leaders had explicitly endorsed the ban. The force acknowledged the "difficult time" for the local Jewish community and pledged continued engagement.
In a letter to a community representative, seen by The Sunday Times, O'Hara wrote: "I apologise and make very clear that it was not my intention to suggest Jewish representatives supported the exclusion." He attributed the confusion to multi-part questions during the hearing.
Why fans were barred
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which includes Birmingham City Council and police, banned away supporters based on intelligence-primarily from Dutch police-warning of potential clashes involving Maccabi's "ultras." Chief Constable Craig Guildford told MPs the Dutch had described the group as "militaristic," citing attacks on taxi drivers and vandalism of flags during a previous match in Amsterdam.
However, Dutch police later denied providing such intelligence, and Lord Mann, the government's antisemitism adviser, told the committee only one flag was torn and one taxi incident occurred.
Political fallout and match day
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the ban, stating, "We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets," and emphasizing police should ensure fans' safety without exclusion. The match proceeded with over 700 officers deployed; only minor arrests were reported.
Outside Villa Park, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters and a smaller pro-Israeli group demonstrated, waving banners and flags.
