Key Takeaways:
- A senior police officer, Mike O’Hara, apologized for wrongly claiming that Jewish representatives agreed with the decision to ban Israeli football fans from a game in Birmingham.
- The police force’s claims about the ban have been disputed, with allegations of false "intelligence" and inaccurate information being used to justify the decision.
- The controversy has led to concerns over the police force’s neutrality and potential pandering to pro-Palestinian groups.
- The police force’s chief constable, Craig Guildford, may be recalled to parliament to answer further questions about the ban and the accuracy of the intelligence report.
- The incident has sparked criticism from MPs and community leaders, with some accusing the police of compromising their neutrality and others describing the ban as "an evil plot" to exclude Jewish people from the city.
Introduction to the Controversy
A senior police officer has apologized for wrongly telling parliament that Jewish representatives agreed with the decision to ban Israeli football fans from a game in Birmingham. Mike O’Hara, the West Midlands assistant chief constable, claimed that officers had consulted with Jewish representatives before concluding that it was too "high risk" for Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters to attend a fixture against Aston Villa. However, it has since been revealed that these claims were untrue, and O’Hara has written to representatives of the community to apologize and clarify that no community members had told police they supported the ban.
The Police Force’s Claims
The police force’s claims about the ban have been disputed, with allegations of false "intelligence" and inaccurate information being used to justify the decision. Dutch police had already said that the force justified the ban using false claims about disorder involving Maccabi fans attending a game against Ajax in Amsterdam last year. The force also referred to a fictitious match between West Ham and Maccabi, a claim so inaccurate that MPs queried whether it had been generated as a result of an artificial intelligence hallucination. The apology would deepen concerns over a decision which, according to No 10, excluded Israeli fans "simply because of who they are".
The Community Impact Assessment
O’Hara made the claim about Jewish support when he was asked by MPs about the "community impact assessment", a police document which looked at the risk posed by Maccabi fans to different groups within the city. Karen Bradley, the Conservative MP who chaired the committee, asked if members of the communities said that they did not want the Maccabi fans there, and if that included any Jewish representatives. O’Hara responded that "a range of faiths, backgrounds and ethnicities … were very concerned". However, sources within the local Jewish community said that there was no meaningful consultation, and the only formal meeting took place after the decision had been made.
The Police Force’s Response
The police force has denied that it "fitted" evidence to support the Maccabi fan ban. However, the force’s chief constable, Craig Guildford, refused to acknowledge that the force was wrong about anything beyond the West Ham game, which police intelligence said took place on November 9, 2023, and led to a 1–0 scoreline. In fact, the sides had never played. Guildford said that the force had derived many of its claims from a "verbal briefing" over Zoom between a chief inspector and several representatives of Amsterdam police. Dutch authorities have denied making a number of allegations cited, which West Midlands police attributed to the call.
The Controversy and Criticism
The controversy has led to concerns over the police force’s neutrality and potential pandering to pro-Palestinian groups. Lord Cryer, a Labour peer, described the ban in parliament as "an evil plot" by "a bunch of bigots and racists" to turn Birmingham "into a no-go area for Jewish people". Nick Timothy, a Conservative MP and a Villa supporter, said that the police force’s evidence was "incorrect" and that serious questions about the accuracy of the West Midlands police intelligence report and about the intent that lay behind it remain unanswered. The incident has sparked criticism from MPs and community leaders, with some accusing the police of compromising their neutrality and others describing the ban as a "grim" decision.
The Potential Consequences
The police force’s chief constable, Craig Guildford, may be recalled to parliament to answer further questions about the ban and the accuracy of the intelligence report. The committee hearing was organized after Dutch police told the Sunday Times that the intelligence report included inaccurate claims. The force has not yet notified the committee chair of the error, but said it intended to do so. A spokesman said that the force was expecting "follow-up engagement from [MPs] and we will ensure this is clearly articulated as it has been with representatives of the Jewish community". The incident has sparked a wider debate about the police force’s role in maintaining community relations and ensuring public safety, and the potential consequences of compromising their neutrality.
