Cry me a river, not mentioned once. Saving for last. They can’t help the,selves. Playbook.
You can't ban Israelis from Britain': Fury grows at police for banning Israeli supporters from Aston Villa match amid clamour for Prince William to speak out
Police are facing massive pressure today to scrape a ban on supporters of an Israeli club attending a match at Aston Villa, as lifelong fan Prince William was urged to speak out.
Followers of Maccabi Tel Aviv have been controversially barred from their Europa League visit to Villa Park in Birmingham on November 6 amid public safety fears.
Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group - responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at the stadium – decided no away fans will be permitted to attend.
But the move sparked outrage from politicians, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and British Jewish leaders.
It was also branded a 'national disgrace' by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and a 'shameful decision' by Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar.
There was further fury when the ban was supported by several leftwing MPs who accused Tel Aviv fans of being 'violent' - claims denied by the club.
Meanwhile there were calls for a statement to be made by the Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Football Association and one of Villa's most famous fans. The Daily Mail has contacted Kensington Palace to establish whether William will be commenting.
Sir Keir said on X: 'This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.'
West Midlands Police said they had classified the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk based on 'current intelligence and previous incidents'.
The included 'violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Uefa Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam'.
However Jack Angelides, the club's chief executive, said its fans had been victims rather than perpetrators of violence in the Dutch capital.