The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold in a context of fragility
Former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson and GOP Senate candidate says President Donald Trump’s Middle East policy is a new change of pace from past “neoconservative” administrations that perpetuated forever wars over “the story with Martha MacCallum.”
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British-Israeli Emily Damari, who was released from Hamas captivity in January, has spoken out about being banned from an upcoming football match in England involving her favorite team, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The team’s English opponent, Aston Villa, announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans would not be allowed to attend the upcoming Europa League match in Birmingham, England, on November 6, due to security concerns, amid frequent pro-Palestinian protests.
So Damari is currently unable to watch.
“I was released from Hamas captivity in January and am a die-hard Maccabi Tel Aviv fan. I am deeply shocked by this scandalous decision to ban me, my family and friends from attending an Aston Villa match in the UK. Football is a way of bringing people together regardless of faith, color or religion and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite. Shame on you. I hope you come to your senses and reconsider your decision,” Damari wrote. on X.
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Emily Damari, a former British-Israeli Hamas hostage, attends her first Tottenham football match since her release during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Crystal Palace FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on May 11. (Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
People walk towards Israeli military helicopters as Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, three female hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attacks, return to Israel, January 19, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
“I wonder what exactly has become of British society. It’s like putting a big sign outside a stadium saying ‘No Jews allowed’. What has become of the UK, where blatant anti-Semitism has become the norm? What a sad world we live in.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police recommendation to exclude visiting team supporters from the November 6 match was “the wrong decision” and that “the role of the police is to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the match, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Starmer’s spokesman Geraint Ellis said on Friday that “the Prime Minister was angered by this decision” and that the government was working urgently to overturn it.
Simon Foster, the Birmingham elected official charged with overseeing and holding local police to account, also called for an “immediate review”, while local mayor Richard Parker called on authorities to find “a workable solution” which could involve the government covering some policing costs.
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Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters light flares and chant slogans before the UEFA Europa League soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024. (Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly targets of violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year. More than a dozen people have already been charged in connection with the violence, and several have already been convicted after a series of violent incidents that occurred overnight.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have been a common sight at Maccabi Tel Aviv matches in 2025.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s upcoming match against Aston Villa will be the team’s first away match in the Europa League since the pro-Palestinian protests that took place at the Thessaloniki Stadium, Greece, against PAOK on September 24.
Around 120 supporters of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for the match and were held behind a police cordon before entering the stadium.
Aston Villa have released a statement regarding the current decision.
“The club is in ongoing dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of fans attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decisions,” the statement said.
Aston Villa’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is just the latest example of restrictions imposed on Israeli sports teams and fans in recent months.
Supporters flying Israeli flags queue outside the Stade de France stadium ahead of the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel in Saint-Denis, France, November 14, 2024. (Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
THE Indonesian Government has denied Israelis visas to enter the country for the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which begins Sunday.
THE Israeli Prime Minister The Tech cycling team has been excluded from an upcoming race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for October 4, due to potential disruptions. pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The UEFA Europa League, Europe’s biggest soccer body, was reportedly preparing to vote in September on whether to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that no action would be taken against the team on October 3. He then reportedly met privately at FIFA headquarters with the head of the Palestinian football federation, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for its resilience at this time,” according to the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump oversaw the historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last week.
As part of the ceasefire, Hamas released the remaining 20 live hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
