Freed hostage regrets Israeli fans excluded from UK football match over concerns over pro-Palestinian protests

British-Israeli woman Emily Damari, who was freed from Hamas captivity in January, has spoken out about her exclusion from an upcoming soccer match in England involving her favorite team, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The team’s English rival Aston Villa announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be allowed to attend the next Europa League match in Birmingham, England, on November 6 for security reasons amid frequent pro-Palestinian protests.

So Damari can’t watch.

“I was freed from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die-hard Maccabi Tel Aviv fan. I am shocked to the core by this scandalous decision to ban myself, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa match in the UK. Football is a way of uniting people regardless of their faith, color or religion and this disgusting decision does exactly the opposite. What a shame. I hope you come in right and reconsider,” Damari wrote in x.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON News

“I wonder what exactly has become of British society. This is like putting a big sign outside a stadium saying ‘No Jews Allowed’. What has become of the UK, where blatant anti-Semitism has become the norm? What a sad world we live in!”

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

Starmer’s spokesman, Geraint Ellis, said on Friday that “the prime minister was angry at the decision” and that the government was working urgently to overturn it.

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

CRUZ BLAMES ISRAEL’S ‘GENOCIDE’ CHARGE ON UN AND PRESSES FOR CONSEQUENCES

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly subjected to violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year. More than a dozen people have already been charged with violence and several have already been convicted following a series of violent incidents that occurred overnight.

Pro-Palestinian protesters have been a regular feature at the Maccabi Tel Aviv games in 2025.

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

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

Aston Villa issued a statement addressing the decision.

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

The ban imposed by Aston Villa on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is just the latest example of the restrictions imposed on sports teams and fans in Israel in recent months.

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

He israeli prime minister The Tech cycling team has been excluded from an upcoming race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for October 4, due to possible disruptions. Pro-Palestinian protests.

The UEFA Europa League, Europe’s largest football body, was reported to be moving towards a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that no action would be taken against the team on October 3. He reportedly later met privately at FIFA headquarters with the head of the Palestinian soccer federation, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for its resilience at this time,” according to The News.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE News APP

President donald trump He oversaw the historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last week.

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

The News contributed to this report.

Follow News Digital sports coverage in Xand subscribe to the News Sports Huddle newsletter.