‘No Jews allowed?’ Freed hostage Emily Damari slams UK decision to ban Israeli fans from soccer game

The decision by the British police to ban the fans of Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a match with British club Aston Villa next month has caused a wave of outrage, including from freed hostage Emily Damari.

Damari, who holds British citizenship, along with her fellow former hostages, the Berman brothers, Gali and Ziv, are fans of the Tel Aviv club.

“I was released from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die-hard fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv,” Damari wrote.

“I am shocked to my core by this appalling decision to ban me, my family, and my friends from attending the Aston Villa match in Britain. Football is meant to unite people regardless of their faith, color, or religion, and this disgusting decision does exactly the opposite.”

To those behind the decision, she said, “Shame on you. I hope you come to your senses and reconsider. I wonder what exactly has happened to British society – it's like putting a big sign outside the stadium saying ‘No Jews Allowed.’ What has happened to Britain, where blatant antisemitism has become the norm? What kind of sad world are we living in?”

Aston Villa and the West Midlands Police announced that the decision to ban Israeli fans from the Nov. 6 match was made following a recommendation from the local Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

The police said there was concern that scenes similar to those in Amsterdam last year, when Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending a game against Ajax were violently attacked, could occur again.

“The SAG has formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture,” Aston Villa said in a statement, adding, “West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”

The ban was widely criticized. Even British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has repeatedly attacked Israel throughout the war against Hamas, blasted the decision as “wrong.”

“We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation,” he said.

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition and the Tory leader, called it a “national disgrace” and urged Starmer to “guarantee that Jewish fans can walk into any football stadium in this country.”

“If not, it sends a horrendous and shameful message: there are parts of Britain where Jews simply cannot go,” Badenoch added.

On Friday, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster called to review the ban. British Minister of Science and Technology Ian Murray said the United Kingdom's Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is currently investigating how to reverse the decision.

Nandy was scheduled to meet with Home Office officials later Friday “to see if there’s a way through” the ban, Murray told Sky News, adding it is “completely and utterly unacceptable.”

Speaking with the BBC, Murray stated that the ban is not only “the wrong decision in terms of antisemitism but it also [sends] the wrong message to the entire country – that you would be banned from going to public events if you’re of the wrong race, religion or creed.”

The ban on the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club, however, was welcomed by anti-Israel activists, including Ayoub Khan, the independent Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr, who wrote, “Well done to all those that signed our petition!”

There had been “so much hostility and uncertainty around the match” that it was “only right to take drastic measures,” he said.

The petition by Khan and former Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, had garnered 3,861 signatures.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign called for the match to be canceled altogether, posting on 𝕏 that it accused Israel of “genocide and apartheid” and urged that all Israeli teams be excluded from the competition for as long as the situation continued.