Government's response to Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban was clumsy', say MPs

"The government's response to West Midlands police's ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was clumsy, late and did little more than inflame tensions, a group of MPs has found. A report by the home affairs select committee, published on Sunday, analysed the original decision to ban away fans from a Europa League fixture with Aston Villa in November, as well as the advice that led to it. The report concluded West Midlands police (WMP) relied on inaccurate information and failed to do even basic due diligence on its intelligence."

"The committee also criticised the Home Office, which it said failed to recognise the significance of the decision and escalate properly, despite being informed more than a week before the ban was announced that it was likely. By intervening only after the decision to ban away fans was taken, the government increased tension around the fixture but was ineffectual in enabling Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend the fixture, which reflects unfavourably on the culture of the Home Office, the report stated."

"The ban on the Israeli club's fans, which was made by the council-led safety advisory group (SAG), caused widespread outrage at the time. Keir Starmer said it was wrong and suggested it amounted to antisemitism. The chair of the committee, Dame Karen Bradley, said the profile of this fixture should have been obvious to the government before the ban was announced. Government intervention was clumsy and came too late, and we reject the government's argument that it could only intervene once the decision was taken, the Conservative MP said. Their intervention when it came did little more than inflame tensions."

West Midlands Police relied on inaccurate, unverified intelligence and failed to carry out basic due diligence when recommending a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans for a Europa League fixture at Aston Villa. The council-led safety advisory group imposed the ban, provoking widespread outrage and claims that the decision amounted to antisemitism. The Home Office failed to recognise the significance of the decision and did not escalate appropriately despite being informed more than a week beforehand. Government intervention occurred only after the ban was announced, arrived late, increased tensions and did not enable fans to attend. The force's use of artificial intelligence in intelligence gathering reinforced false narratives, prompting apologies from officers.

Read at www.theguardian.com