Aston Villa Stadium Must Not Be A No-go Area For Jews, Says Ed Miliband

Aston Villa’s shot crushed cannot beryllium a “no-go area” for Jews, Ed Miliband has said arsenic he reiterated calls for a prohibition connected Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to beryllium lifted.

The power caput said ministers were moving to guarantee supporters of nan Israeli nine could be nan Europa League fixture astatine Villa Park connected 6 November.

Birmingham’s information advisory group is gathering adjacent week and is expected to nutrient proposals astir nan other resources West Midlands constabulary would request to let nan lucifer to spell up safely pinch distant fans.

The unit past week barred Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from nan lucifer because of concerns that officers would not beryllium capable to constabulary it safely. They cited “violent clashes and dislike crime offences” astatine a Maccabi Tel Aviv match successful Amsterdam successful 2024.

Asked connected Sunday Morning pinch Trevor Phillips connected Sky News whether Villa Park was a no-go area for Jews, Miliband replied: “No, and it can’t be, and I’m very, very clear astir that.

“We cannot person a business wherever immoderate area is simply a no-go area for group of a peculiar belief aliases from a peculiar country, and we’ve sewage to stamp retired each forms of prejudice, antisemitism, Islamophobia, wherever we find them.”

Asked astir a petition calling for a boycott of Israeli teams successful nan UK, Miliband said: “I profoundly disagree pinch that approach, pinch what is being said successful that petition.”

The erstwhile Labour leader said nan “vast mostly of Muslim group successful this state would disassociate themselves” from suggestions that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could not travel to Aston Villa because it was a predominantly Muslim area. But he said “integration is not thing you tin ever return for granted”.

The Home Office has offered West Midlands constabulary other support to guarantee nan lucifer tin spell up pinch each fans, pinch ministers piling unit connected officers to reverse nan ban.

It emerged over nan weekend that Aston Villa told nine stewards they would not person to activity during nan fixture, saying they understood that immoderate mightiness person “concerns astir attending work”.

The BBC reported that unit were informed they had support to skip their duties earlier a determination was made to prohibition distant fans.

In an email connected 3 October, stewards were told that “regarding nan upcoming fixture against Maccabi Tel Aviv … we admit that immoderate of you whitethorn person concerns astir attending work”.

Those who were meant to activity connected nan time were told they would “be capable to taxable a one-off absence request” and this would “allow you to registry your absence for this circumstantial fixture”. Aston Villa told unit “this type of absence will not impact your contractual minimum attendance of 80%”.

West Midlands constabulary said they had classified Villa’s location fixture against Maccabi arsenic “high risk” based connected intelligence. The unit besides cited nan lucifer betwixt Ajax and Maccabi successful Amsterdam, wherever much than 60 group were arrested complete unit that authorities said was fuelled by a “toxic operation of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger”.