Freed hostage laments Israeli fans being barred from UK soccer game over concerns of pro-Palestinian protests

British-Israeli woman Emily Damari, who was released from Hamas captivity in January, spoke out about being barred from an upcoming soccer game in England involving her favorite team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. 

The team’s English opponent, Aston Villa, announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be allowed to attend the upcoming Europa League game in Birmingham, England, on Nov. 6 over safety concerns amid frequent pro-Palestinian protests.

So Damari is not able to watch. 

“I was released from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die hard fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv. I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK. Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite. Shame on you. I hope you come to your senses and reconsider,” Damari wrote on X.

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Emily Damari, a British-Israeli ex-hostage of Hamas, attends her first Tottenham soccer game since being released during a Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Crystal Palace FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London May 11.  (Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)

People walk toward Israeli military helicopters as Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, three female hostages who have been held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, return to Israel Jan. 19, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)

“I do wonder what exactly has become of British society, this is like putting a big sign on the outside of a stadium saying ‘No Jews allowed’ What has become of the UK where blatant antisemitism has become the norm? What a sad world we are living in.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police recommendation to bar the visiting team’s fans from the Nov. 6 game was “the wrong decision” and that “the role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”

Starmer spokesman Geraint Ellis said Friday that “the prime minister has been angered by the decision” and the government was working urgently to overturn it.

Simon Foster, the elected official in Birmingham responsible for overseeing the local police force and holding it to account, also urged an “immediate review,” while local Mayor Richard Parker called on authorities to find “a workable solution” that may involve the government covering some policing costs.

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Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv light flares and chant slogans ahead of a UEFA Europa League soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov. 7, 2024.  (Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC supporters were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year. More than a dozen people have already been charged in the violence, and several have already been convicted after a series of violent overnight incidents.

Pro-Palestinian protesters have been a common fixture at Maccabi Tel Aviv games in 2025.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s upcoming match against Aston Villa will be the team’s first away game in the Europa League since pro-Palestinian protests took place at the stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, against PAOK on Sept. 24. 

About 120 fans of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for that game and were held behind a police cordon before entering the venue.

Aston Villa released a statement addressing the decision. 

“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision,” the statement read.

Aston Villa’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is just the latest example of restrictions placed on Israel’s sports teams and fans in recent months. 

Supporters with Israeli flags queue outside the Stade de France ahead of a UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel in Saint-Denis, France, Nov. 14, 2024. (Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Indonesian government denied the Israelis visas to enter the country for the upcoming 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which begins Sunday. 

The Israel Premier Tech cycling team has been excluded from an upcoming race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for Oct. 4, over potentially disruptive pro-Palestinian protests.

The UEFA Europa League, Europe’s biggest soccer body, was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3. He reportedly later met privately at FIFA headquarters with the leader of the Palestinian soccer federation, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for their resilience at this time,” per The Associated Press. 

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President Donald Trump oversaw the historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last week. 

As part of the ceasefire, Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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