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British-Israeli woman Emily Damari, who was released from Hamas captivity in January, spoke out about being barred from an upcoming soccer game in England involving her favorite team, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The team’s English opponent, Aston Villa, announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be allowed to attend the upcoming Europa League game in Birmingham, England, on Nov. 6 over safety concerns amid frequent pro-Palestinian protests.
So Damari is not able to watch.
“I was released from Hamas captivity in January and I am a die hard fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv. I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK. Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite. Shame on you. I hope you come to your senses and reconsider,” Damari wrote on X.
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC supporters were reportedly the target 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 the violence, and several have already been convicted after a series of violent overnight incidents.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have been a common fixture at Maccabi Tel Aviv games in 2025.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s upcoming match against Aston Villa will be the team’s first away game in the Europa League since pro-Palestinian protests took place at the stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, against PAOK on Sept. 24.
About 120 fans of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for that game and were held behind a police cordon before entering the venue.
Aston Villa released a statement addressing the decision.
“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision,” the statement read.
Aston Villa’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is just the latest example of restrictions placed on Israel’s sports teams and fans in recent months.
The Indonesian government denied the Israelis visas to enter the country for the upcoming 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which begins Sunday.
The Israel Premier Tech cycling team has been excluded from an upcoming race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for Oct. 4, over potentially disruptive pro-Palestinian protests.
The UEFA Europa League, Europe’s biggest soccer body, was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3. He reportedly later met privately at FIFA headquarters with the leader of the Palestinian soccer federation, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for their resilience at this time,” per 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 living hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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