The presenter opened up about why the ban should prompt ‘worry’

Rob Rinder has shared his thoughts on the controversial banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from an upcoming Europa League match.

This week, West Midlands police declared it would prohibit supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending their club’s fixture against Aston Villa due to safety considerations, a ruling the Prime Minister has opposed.

The restriction affects fans of the Israeli side who had planned to travel for the match.

Authorities implemented the ban citing security concerns, effectively preventing away supporters from being present at the venue.

The GMB presenters discussed the Tel Aviv football fan ban

The decision means no travelling fans from Tel Aviv will be permitted entry to watch their team compete against the Birmingham-based Premier League club.

Police officials determined that security risks necessitated the complete exclusion of away supporters for this particular fixture, marking an unusual step in European competition where travelling fans typically form part of the matchday atmosphere.

Speaking on Friday’s This Morning, presenter Mr Rinder noted: “There have been instances where Jewish people have shown up on the streets of London, where there were Gaza protests, perfectly reasonably, taking place – if not some of the slogans which are, to say the least, anti-Jewish, racist and problematic.

“Where the police have gone up to Jewish people and said, ‘You’re obviously Jewish, and therefore you’re posing a risk to us.’

Rob Rinder shared his concerns for Jewish people about the situation

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“If there’s any foundation that the reason this decision was made was because the police simply were not either willing, which is doubtful, or not prepared or capable of protecting fans, we really need to be worried about that.”

Former Labour minister Caroline Flint agreed: “I think we absolutely have to be worried about that.

“Actually, there should be no no-go areas for anyone in our society to conduct things that we do every day – going to work, enjoying a football match, going to the cinema, going to a concert, going to a festival.

“These are the things that everybody should be entitled to. Whether it’s Jewish people going to this match in this country who are British citizens, or whether it’s fans coming from overseas.

“And you’re describing some of the activities of this man, and what he’s put out on social media, it’s almost ‘what are we going to do?’ We’ve got to deal with this.”

Fellow ITV guest and political consultant Salma Shah later pointed out: “Caroline and I have both served in the Home Office, we see what the police has to deal with on a daily basis and you know, notwithstanding that it comes with contracting resources, however, the police can provide an assessment, they can provide the advice and the decisions that were taken.

“If Keir Starmer is saying, as the Prime Minister, ‘This is unacceptable,’ then what are the practical steps that you can take without political intervention?

“Because those two things, the pragmatic and the practical, have to sit alongside everything that Carolines just said, which is the ethical.”

Taking to X following the debate, Mr Rinder, who has been a vocal supporter of Jewish rights, emphasised his concerns once more.

He re-posted a clip on X of himself during the debate, stating: “After what happened in Manchester, I put out a Tweet, and it wasn’t just a tragic day, it felt very much like an important moment.

Caroline Flint and Salma Shah shared their thoughts on the debate

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“And one where lots of Jewish people are asking whether or not there is a future for them in this country.

“That’s a real conversation that takes place in private. I’m here, proudly Jewish, and I feel confident, and I will remain hopeful about the future of this nation, but at the same time, when it seems as if the authorities who are there to protect you, that are there as part of community policing, are not able to…

“That does… Enduring violence to the sense of safety of our community that we experience every single day, and that’s something which has to be very seriously considered by the police in the course of making this decision.”

He captioned the re-post: “If safety means telling Jewish fans they can’t attend a football match, something’s gone badly wrong with what ‘safety’ means in Britain.” (sic)