UK police to investigate violence at Maccabi Tel Aviv match

British police will investigate whether fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv bear any blame for violence at an Israeli football match on Sunday that led to the game being abandoned.

Police and authorities have faced criticism over a decision last week to ban Maccabi fans from attending a Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham on 6 November.

Keir Starmer criticised the decision and there have been claims authorities were giving in to antisemitism. But sources say a key factor in the decision was fears that Maccabi fans could cause trouble during their visit.

The decision to ban Maccabi fans was made by Birmingham’s safety advisory group and relied heavily on the police’s view of the likelihood and potential sources of violence.

Maccabi’s game on Sunday against their Tel Aviv rivals Hapoel was cancelled before kick-off after violent scenes. Israeli police said their officers were injured with “smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices” thrown on to the pitch. Maccabi blamed their rivals.

The UK football policing unit, which leads efforts to drive violence out of the game, will speak to its Israeli counterparts to understand the violence at Sunday’s match.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said on Monday: “We acknowledge events over the last few days and we condemn any violent behaviour. We understand the UK football policing units are reaching out to their Israeli counterparts to gain an understanding on what happened at last night’s match in Tel Aviv.

“We all want to ensure that all fans can enjoy the Aston Villa game safely early next month and that’s why the Home Office is working closely with West Midlands police to understand what resources may be required for this to be possible.”

One option could be that government funds extra officers to police the event, from when Maccabi fans arrive in Birmingham to when they leave. Discussions are continuing.

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, said Sunday’s trouble in Tel Aviv showed the ban was right. He said in the Commons: “I know the reality on the ground and I know that there has been a deliberate, disingenuous move by many to make this a matter of banning Jews – to conflate matters of policing with those of religion.

“Those who are not welcome in Aston are hooligans that have a long history of violence and vile racism. Chants like ‘F the Arabs’, ‘we will rape their daughters’, that ‘there are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left in Gaza’ – it’s these hooligans that are not welcome.

“Can I ask the minister how many millions of British taxpayers’ money is her government offering to overturn the respective expert judgment of the West Midlands police and the safety group.”

The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, replied that she was appalled by those chants but added: “It is entirely disingenuous to say that you respect cohesion and inclusion when you’re seeking to divide and exclude.”

Nandy told the Commons: “This decision was not made in a vacuum. It is set against the backdrop of rising antisemitism here and across the world, and an attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two innocent men were killed.

“It has a real-world impact on a community who already feel excluded and afraid. It is therefore completely legitimate to support the independence of the police to conduct that risk assessment and to question the conclusion that follows when it excludes the people at the heart of that risk.”