Revealed: Anti-Israel views of ‘safety’ committee members who banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans

In an opinion piece published by the Birmingham Mail in September, Zaffar wrote: “We simply cannot sit and watch a football team from a state whose government is perpetrating what we and many others view as a humanitarian crisis, with the killing of thousands of innocent children and civilians in Palestine… I believe that the international community, including sports governing bodies like Uefa, should have suspended clubs like this as a sanction.”

And, in a Facebook post on Thursday, Zaffar said: “The Aston Villa Safety Advisory Committee, of which I am a member, has decided that no away fans will be permitted to attend … Do you agree with this decision that we took?”

The JC has previously reported that Zaffar had to be reprimanded by the Labour Party for controversial statements about Israel.

In 2016 he was “reminded of his responsibilities as a Labour councillor” by the party after claiming that government support for Israel fuels support for extremist groups, such as Isis.

The Lozells ward councillor on Birmingham City Council has, over the years, campaigned alongside and on behalf of now-Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is also a Birmingham MP.

On his X page, Zaffar’s banner image is of the two of them together with London mayor Sadiq Khan.

However, the JC understands that the leading Birmingham Labour figure did not lobby Mahmood formally or informally before the decision was taken.

Moreover, it is understood that the first time Mahmood became aware of the SAG’s decision to prohibit Israeli fans was when the news was made public on Thursday.

Leading Labour figures, including Mahmood, expressed a desire to see Villa’s game go ahead with Maccabi fans present.

Also in September, Lib Dem councillor Hussain appeared alongside local MP Ayoub Khan in a video in which he encouraged people to sign a petition to ban the Israeli club from the game.

In the video, taken outside the club’s Villa Park stadium, Hussain said: “We are the voice of the people. And this is something that a lot of people in Aston do not want.”

She went on to “strongly urge Aston Villa to reconsider” hosting the game against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

In the video, Khan insinuated that the Israeli fans were responsible for the violence in Amsterdam earlier this year, when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax – despite widespread reports that local men plotted the attacks on the Maccabi fans in the days before the match.

“We’ve all seen those harrowing images from Amsterdam. I’ve started a petition to boycott Maccabi Tel Aviv. There is no place for violence or any thugs to come into Aston or indeed Birmingham”, said Khan.

Hussain’s support for the ban on Maccabi fans coming to the UK was rejected by her own party, a spokesperson for which told the JC: “We have made clear the Lib Dems believe this was a serious mistake by West Midlands Police. You don’t tackle antisemitism by banning its victims.

“This decision must be reversed and the government must work with the local authorities to ensure police have sufficient resources to ensure everyone can enjoy the match safely.”

Another member of the SAG, Conservative councillor Alex Yip, expressed opposition to the decision to ban Maccabi fans.

“We cannot tolerate antisemitism on our streets, and for fear of that to win out. The police should ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation”, he said in a post on X.

West Midlands Police has backed the decision to exclude away fans, citing the clashes in Amsterdam.

“Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety,” the force said in a statement on Thursday.

However, it has thus far refused to elaborate whether its assessment is based on fear of what harm might come to the travelling Maccabi fans or of their actions.

The atmosphere in Birmingham, and the response of the authorities, was also criticised by a Conservative frontbencher on Monday.

In a wide-ranging speech on Islam and free speech at think-tank policy exchange, Nick Timothy MP, who was born in Birmingham and is an Aston Villa fan, hit out at the hostility against the Israeli fans and accused West Midlands police of surrendering to Islamists and thugs.

“Whipped up by local activists and even their local MP, thousands of people in Birmingham made their hostility to Jewish-Israeli football fans clear”, he said.

The former special adviser to Theresa May added: “The threat of violence was unmistakable. And instead of declaring that this is unacceptable. Instead of saying the police would do whatever it takes to make the city a safe place for Jews, West Midlands Police surrendered to the thugs and the Islamists and insisted that Jewish-Israeli fans should be banned from attending the game.”

In the Commons on Monday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy reiterated the government’s desire for the fixture to go ahead and added that it would provide West Midlands Police with whatever resources it needed for it to be able to provide security for the fixture.

She told MPs that although the decision by the SAG police and government were “operationally independent” from government, their actions had “far wider implications” and described the decision to exclude the away fans as “wrong”.

“The government have been working with West Midlands police and Birmingham city council to support them to consider all the options available and to tell us what resources are needed to manage the risks to ensure that fans from both teams can attend safely. If the assessment is revised, the safety advisory group will meet again to discuss options”, she told the Chamber.

Birmingham City Council said in a statement: “The Safety Advisory Group has made a decision based on a risk assessment provided by West Midlands Police. If there is a change in the assessment of risk in the forthcoming match between Aston Villa Football Club and Maccabi Tel Aviv, then the Safety Advisory Group will commit to review its decision as appropriate.”

West Midlands Police, Waseem Zaffar and Mumtaz Hussain have been contacted for comment.