Pro-Gaza MP Ayoub Khan has insisted that he “is not a racist” after supporting the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Aston Villa game next month.
The local politician has been hit with a deluge of antisemitic accusations after he backed the decision to bar fans of Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv from their fixture against Aston Villa on November 6.
Hitting out at the “echo chamber” of views, Mr Khan responded: “If I’ve supported the fact that Russian teams were being banned because of the atrocities that are being committed in Ukraine, I have held and maintained the same consistency when it comes to Israel’s Israeli football teams.
“We have had more than 800 athletes murdered in Gaza, 350 of them footballers and a very prominent footballer, 41-year-old Mr Salam Soleimani, who was killed whilst waiting for food.
“Eric Cantona asking for the boycott of Israel football teams. So there is a moral argument and, you know, people will dilute that word.
“It means very little when all you’ve done is stood up for principle and have been labelled something which you’re not. I’m not a racist.
In a statement published late on Thursday night, West Midlands Police said classifying the game as “high risk” was the right move and would help “mitigate risks to public safety”.
Sir Keir has since criticised the move, declaring it “wrong”.
On Thursday evening, Sir Keir said: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.
“The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
But Mr Khan slammed the Labour leader for condemning the move, telling GB News: “I don’t think that politicians should get involved in matters that are outside of our expertise.
“The fact that the Prime Minister has labelled this decision as antisemitic is disingenuous.
The MP who backed the decision to ban Israeli football fans from an Aston Villa game has insisted he ‘is not a racist’
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“It’s disingenuous on the great West Midlands Police force we have here and those individuals that participated in that objective analysis of intelligence and information that they must have collected over the last few months and made a finding that this was a match that they could not police to ensure the safety of not just residents, local businesses, private hire drivers, but also fans coming in to the town.”
Earlier on Friday, the club’s chief executive, Jack Angelides, joined Sir Keir in blasting the decision as “antisemitic”, warning that a series of “small” moves could precede more “sinister” events.
Mr Angelides said: “To be frank, it’s been met with some dismay about what this is potentially signalling.
“We understand the reasons that have been put to us — that the authorities feel unable to adequately protect our fans who would be attending the match,” he told BBC Radio 4.
Sir Keir said the decision to ban fans from attending was ‘wrong’
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He continued: “But I do think this is an extremely important moment because of what it signifies.
“I don’t use this term lightly, but people ask what antisemitism looks like? Small events, leading up to something more sinister.
“We have British Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who are Jewish, and they are being told it is not safe in their own country to watch a football match.”
Meanwhile, other than the Prime Minister, other Westminster bigwigs have come out swinging, with Reform chief saying the ban “takes racial discrimination to a whole new level”.
