UK and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans regret refusal of away tickets

LONDON/JERUSALEM :Britain's government and fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv said on Tuesday they regretted the Israeli soccer club's decision to turn down tickets for an upcoming match at Aston Villa, even as ministers worked to overturn a police ban on away supporters.

Israeli sports teams have become a focus for pro-Palestinian protesters during the conflict in Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had said it was wrong to ban away supporters from the Europa League match in the central English city of Birmingham on November 6 after local police expressed concerns about potential trouble.

But Maccabi said on Monday the "toxic atmosphere" put its fans at too much risk. 

A British government spokesperson said it had been working round the clock to defend the principle that fans should be able to enjoy a game without fear of intimidation of violence.

"We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so," the spokesperson said.

"It is completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us. We will never tolerate antisemitism or extremism on our streets."

FANS UNDER SCRUTINY

West Midlands Police said the initial ban was based on current intelligence and past incidents, citing violence around a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last year.

Maccabi fans also came under scrutiny at the weekend when a derby with rivals Hapoel was cancelled due to disturbances.

In its statement on Monday about the Villa game, Maccabi said they were working to stamp out racism among fans but also said the club was being maligned by people exploiting isolated incidents.

"As a result of the hate-filled