UK Police Admit Knowing of Threats Against Israeli Fans Before Banning Them from Match

British police leaders acknowledged this week that they knew months in advance that local groups were planning violence against Israeli football fans, yet still barred those fans from attending a match in Birmingham.

The admission came during a hearing of the Home Affairs Select Committee, where senior officers from West Midlands Police were recalled to explain their handling of security for a Europa League match involving Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli supporters were banned from attending the November game against Aston Villa, with police citing safety concerns.

During Tuesday’s hearing, police officials revealed that intelligence gathered as early as September showed “elements of the local community” intended to “arm themselves” and seek out Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters. Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara told MPs the force had information suggesting people would “actively seek out Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and would seek violence towards them.”

Police said that by mid-September they had what they described as “high-confidence intelligence” of a serious threat. That information, however, was not disclosed to MPs or the public before the decision was made to ban Israeli fans from the match.

The ban itself was announced in early November, just days before the game at Villa Park. At the time, police cited general public safety concerns and referenced previous unrest at European matches involving Israeli teams. Critics later challenged parts of that justification, including claims based on incidents abroad.

Lawmakers reacted angrily to the newly disclosed intelligence. Several MPs were heard muttering “outrageous” during the session, while committee chair Karen Bradley said the central issue was whether the Jewish community in Birmingham felt protected.

Pressed on why the intelligence had not previously been revealed, West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford told MPs he had not raised the information publicly because he “wasn’t asked about it.” Birmingham’s Labour council leader, John Cotton, also said he had not been informed of intelligence suggesting armed attacks were being planned against Israeli fans.

Police leaders insisted the ban was made solely on safety grounds and denied any political pressure. They also denied consulting extremist or antisemitic groups and claimed they had met with both Jewish and Muslim community representatives ahead of the match.

Still, Jewish groups and several MPs argue the newly disclosed intelligence fundamentally changes how the decision should be understood. Rather than confronting those threatening violence, they say, authorities responded by removing the potential victims from the area.

Independent reviews of the police handling of the case are now underway, and parliamentary scrutiny is expected to continue. At the center of the debate is a broader question that extends beyond football, of when Jews are targeted with violence, do European authorities protect them, or sideline them in the name of public order.