Israel has condemned the “hostility and incitement” that led to Maccabi Tel Aviv saying it would not accept tickets for its match with Aston Villa.
The Israeli club’s announcement came amid efforts by ministers to overturn a ban on fans from the away team attending the Europa League match at Villa Park next month.
The Israeli embassy in the UK said it expected the UK authorities to ensure the safety of Jewish fans and their “full participation in public life”.
The Embassy of Israel to the United Kingdom is deeply concerned by the hostility and incitement that led Maccabi Tel Aviv to withdraw their away ticket allocation for the match against Aston Villa.
— Israel in the UK 🇮🇱🤝🇬🇧 (@IsraelinUK) October 21, 2025
It is regrettable that extremists have turned football a sport meant to unite… pic.twitter.com/8msbjcTqzW
In a statement, the embassy said it was “deeply concerned by the hostility and incitement that led Maccabi Tel Aviv to withdraw their away ticket allocation for the match against Aston Villa”.
“It is regrettable that extremists have turned football, a sport meant to unite, into a platform for intimidation, driving Jewish and Israeli fans away from UK stadiums.”
The decision to ban away fans came after the game was classified as high risk by West Midlands Police, based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Amsterdam.
The decision followed a campaign to get the match cancelled led by Ayoub Khan, whose Birmingham Perry Barr seat includes Villa Park.
He said there was a “moral argument” as well as a safety one, arguing for a boycott of the game because of the war in Gaza.
The Israeli embassy hit out at the “inflammatory” rhetoric from some MPs and local councils.
The embassy added that there had been a “deeply concerning” wider “rise in antisemitism, fuelled by hateful chants and the ostracising of Jews for displaying the Star of David”.
“The embassy condemns all attempts to exclude Israeli teams or Jewish fans and expects UK authorities to ensure their safety and full participation in public life.”
Downing Street has signalled it still sees hope for Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend despite the Israeli side saying it would not take up its allocation.
The Home Office is still talking to police about putting extra resources in place for the match, No 10 said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it was a decision for Maccabi Tel Aviv to turn down their ticket allocation and that we “respect their right” to do so.
“But as I say, we have been working around the clock to defend the basic principle that all football fans should be able to enjoy games without fear of intimidation or violence.”
He later added: “We had asked police to review their assessment of this match and set out what resources could be put in place to allow it to go ahead safely.
“No one should be stopped from watching a game of football simply because of who they are and discussions between the Home Office and West Midlands Police continue.”
Asked if Downing Street still sees a possibility the game could be policed in a way that would allow Maccabi supporters to attend, he repeated that “discussions continue” with police.
Birmingham’s safety advisory group, the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, last week said that no away fans would be allowed to attend.
The Prime Minister then weighed in, calling the move “wrong” and for it to be overturned.
The Government had been expecting West Midlands Police to set out this week what they would need to police the game safely with both sets of fans present.
