Sometimes making what for all intents and purposes is a wrong decision in a perfect world is right. No way that the safety of the supporters could be guaranteed in Birmingham, recipe for disaster
The pertinent question is why are these fans not guaranteed safe passage in our second biggest city? There wouldn’t be concerns if Tel Aviv were playing in Oxford.
The multicultural dream is that we become this melting pot with shared common values.
Two ironies here:
- Jenrick just got pilloried by some parts of the media for decrying lack of integration in Handsworth
- Polanski mae a heart warming video on multiculturalism is in Birmingham
The SAG and WMP have recommended against having away fans because they can’t guarantee the safety of a group of football fans who will mostly be Jewish because of the wider demographics of Birmingham.
If the police had intelligence that it could kick off with local Birmingham populations and when you have a local cleric inciting certain things, it’s really not a good look for Britain.
If you don’t think the recent actions of some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans combined with the recent political environment have changed the risk factors around this game, then I’m not surprised this decision comes as a shock to you.
How do you know what the PM has been briefed on? (I agree with him in this case though)
No, I don’t.
The Dutch authorities actually condemned what could be described as ‘Jew hunts’ from the local population. It’s only left wing journos/outlets who seem to place the blame on Tel Aviv fans.
The SAG and WMP have said that the
Of the arrests in Amsterdam last year, a small % were Tel Aviv fans. The majority that were arrested were locals. This narrative that it was Tel Aviv ultras tearing up the city is nonsense. Yes, there was bad behaviour and chanting on their side.
Back to this, we have hosted football fans with much worse reputations than Tel Aviv so it’s v apparent that this isn’t about football hooliganism.
You cryptically put the ‘recent political environment’. Be honest about what you mean here. The concerns over safety of Israeli football fans isn’t because of middle-class Palestine Action protestors you regularly see in Birmingham. Its concerns are with it kicking off with the locals who have cleric who called Tel Aviv footballs fans visiting Birmingham as ‘the IDF’ and that the usual rule of Islam are disapplied - which is incitement.