Dawn
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12:34 Oct 17, 2025
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government was holding urgent talks on Friday to overturn a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending a match at Aston Villa that Israel’s government branded “shameful”. Birmingham-based Villa said the club had been informed by the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), responsible for issuing certificates for matches, that no away fans would be permitted at the Europa League match on November 6. “Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision,” the foreign minister of Israel, Gideon Saar, posted on X. A UK police commissioner asked local officials to review the decision as criticism of the ban mounted, including from Starmer and European governing body UEFA. Starmer, a keen football fan, called the move “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,” Starmer wrote on X. A spokesman for the prime minister said on Friday that conve...