Anti-Israel councillors pressed for ban on Maccabi fans at Aston Villa

NEW DOCUMENTS REVEAL DEBATE BEFORE CONTROVERSIAL DECISION

- JANE HAYNES Political Reporter

TWO anti-Israel city councillors who sat on the group that decided to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the city claimed during a decisive meeting that the whole local community "want it stopped", new documents have revealed.

Cllr Waseem Zaffar and Cllr Mumtaz Hussain were the only elected members to have a say in the decision, which has triggered a national furore amid cries of “antisemitism” - denied by the council and West Midlands Police.

Both councillors had previously lobbied against Israeli participation in any international sports because of the Gaza crisis. Police also consulted with several mosques and Muslim community leaders about the issue, some with strong anti-Israel sentiment, as well as Jewish community groups and synagogues.

The minutes from two meetings of the Safety Advisory Group that decided on the ban have been released to the Birmingham Mail as part of a batch of documents belatedly shared under the Freedom of Information Act.

They all concern the group's police backed decision to ban fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from the November 6 Europa League tie against Aston Villa on public safety grounds.

The decision has had massive ramifications and has triggered calls for West Midlands Chief Constable Craig Guildford to lose his job. Police and council leaders are to face a hostile group of MPs today over the saga.