West Midlands Police has defended its decision to ban Israeli football fans from a high-profile match in Birmingham, after Dutch police reportedly disputed key intelligence claims that underpinned the controversial move. The row centres on a police report that justified barring Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending an Aston Villa Europa League fixture on November 6.
The Sunday Times reported that the Netherlands Police has challenged multiple allegations made by West Midlands Police in a confidential dossier used to justify the ban. According to the newspaper, the British force's report claimed Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam threw members of the public into a river, that up to 600 supporters intentionally targeted Muslim communities, that 200 were linked to the Israeli Defence Forces, and that Dutch police deployed 5,000 officers in response to disorder at a previous match.
Dutch Police Dispute Claims
Sebastiaan Meijer, spokesman for the Amsterdam division of the Netherlands Police, told The Sunday Times the claims were incorrect or unrecognised. He said the only known case of people being thrown into a river involved a man who appeared to be a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan who was filmed being told he could leave the water if he said "Free Palestine".
Meijer also said there was no evidence up to 600 people deliberately targeted Muslims, adding his force did not have a number of how many took part in the disorder. On the claim that 200 fans were linked to the Israeli Defence Forces, he said Dutch police did not investigate such backgrounds.
He rejected findings that Israeli fans were organised and skilled fighters, stating much of the violence occurred from small incidents with Maccabi supporters "getting into fights, but not a lot and not in a very alarming way". Meijer also told the newspaper that Dutch police deployed 1,200 officers across different shifts, not 5,000.
Police Stand by Decision
West Midlands Police maintained its evaluation was sound and proportionate. A force spokesperson said: "West Midlands Police's evaluation was based primarily on information and intelligence and had public safety at its heart. We assessed the fixture between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam as having involved significant public disorder."
The spokesperson added: "Informed by information and intelligence, we concluded that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters – specifically the subgroup known as the Maccabi Fanatics – posed a credible threat to public safety." The force commissioned a peer review by the UK Football Policing Unit, the National Police Chiefs' Council and subject matter experts, which "fully endorsed the force's approach and decision-making" on October 20.
Political Backlash
The ban drew sharp criticism from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who called it the "wrong decision". Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group, which brings together the council and police force, announced the ban in October amid public safety concerns. Maccabi Tel Aviv ultimately declined tickets offered to its fans.
The match at Villa Park was policed by more than 700 officers and passed without serious disorder, with 10 arrests made. West Midlands Police said it was satisfied the policing strategy "maintained the city's reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone".
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
