Home Affairs Correspondent
A Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP has been reported to Parliament’s Standards Commissioner for claiming that West Midlands Police banned Israeli football fans due to pressure from Muslim communities.
On November 24, Sammy Wilson suggested in Parliament that the police “gave in to pressure from Muslim politicians and Muslim thugs” when they prohibited supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a November 6 match at Villa Park. The ban sparked controversy and was denounced as antisemitic last month by the British government.
A confidential West Midlands Police assessment, based on information from Dutch authorities, described hundreds of Maccabi fans who caused disturbances in Amsterdam in November 2024 as “experienced fighters”, “highly organised”, and “intent on causing serious violence”.
However, a recent report in The Sunday Times claimed that West Midlands Police exaggerated the threat, a claim the force denies. In Parliament, Wilson questioned Home Office minister Sarah Jones, “Given that the reports in the Sunday Times seem to contradict the police in the West Midlands, is it not accurate to say that their recommendations on which Israeli fans were to be banned were nothing but a tissue of lies?”
He added, “It appears that West Midlands Police have given in to pressure from Muslim politicians and Muslim thugs. As a result, the Jewish community is once again left feeling disadvantaged. Will the minister ensure that the inquiry looks closely at any political pressure on the police?”
There is no evidence that West Midlands Police faced political pressure. Numerous MPs, both Muslim and non-Muslim, supported the ban on Maccabi fans. Wilson did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Independent Alliance MP Ayoub Khan, a key supporter of the ban, called for Wilson to apologise and said he would lodge a formal complaint with the Standards Commissioner.
Former Labour leader and Independent Alliance MP Jeremy Corbyn expressed concern over what he described as the normalisation of Islamophobia in Parliament, noting that the ban was about public safety rather than targeting Jewish people.
Labour MP Kim Johnson described Wilson’s remarks as “reckless, baseless, and deeply divisive,” emphasising that the police acted on evidence, not sectarian pressure. Fellow Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed, a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said Wilson’s statements “went unchallenged in the Commons” and warned they contributed to Islamophobia.
Khan condemned Wilson’s language as “disgraceful, inflammatory, divisive, and deeply irresponsible,” highlighting that the MP specifically linked criminal behaviour to a religious community. He added that the lack of pushback from Parliament was “shameful” and that no MP should be allowed to use such divisive language without consequence.
The Sunday Times also reported that Sebastiaan Meijer, a spokesman for Amsterdam police, contradicted aspects of West Midlands Police’s assessment. West Midlands Police defended their evaluation, stating it was “informed by intelligence” and aimed at protecting public safety. Their records noted that over 200 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam were “linked to the Israel Defence Forces.”
Feature photo: Sammy Wilson in Parliament. The DUP MP faces a complaint to the Standards Commissioner after alleging that West Midlands Police acted under Muslim ‘pressure’ when banning Israeli football supporters. (Credit: House of Commons/Flickr)
