UK police pressured to reverse ban on Israeli soccer fans at Birmingham match World Oct 17, 2025 5:43 PM EDT

LONDON (AP) — Pressure mounted Friday on police authorities in the English city of Birmingham to reverse a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans attending a Europa League game at Aston Villa next month over security concerns, a decision that drew widespread condemnation.

Behind the scenes, the government was seeking to resolve the row, which comes at a time of heightened worries about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue earlier this month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police recommendation to bar

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