Birmingham MP slams 'disgraceful' govt probe into police over Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban

British MP Ayoub Khan has reiterated his support for West Midlands Police, amid the launch of a government probe into the force over its decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a game with Aston Villa earlier this month.

Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, slammed the move ordered by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as "disgraceful", arguing that the government should have stood by the police's decision.

"I think it's absolutely outrageous. I think it's disgusting that we have senior politicians who seek to undermine the West Midlands police force, who seek to undermine the Safety Advisory Group, who were prepared to give millions of pounds for hooligans that would have come here and caused chaos," Khan told The New Arab on the sidelines of the Your Party conference in Liverpool on Sunday.

The MP, a longtime local councillor who is in his first term in parliament, has faced personal smears and accusations of antisemitism over his support for the ban. His position stood in contrast to that of Keir Starmer's Labour government, which attempted to overturn the decision.

"I think her [Shabana Mahmood's] position is simply a disgrace. As a Birmingham parliamentarian, she would have fully known that police intelligence was credible," he said.

Khan added that the government's determination to overturn the ban stood in stark contrast to its efforts to tackle local issues.

"The fact that they were so hell-bound in trying to get hooligans, known hooligans, that caused havoc in Amsterdam through Birmingham and pay millions when we have bin strikes and our bin workers are being told that they either take the pay cut or move on is an utter shame," he added.

The probe into WMP comes amid sustained pro-Israel pressure over the matter, with the latter accusing police of relying on fabricated evidence. Pro-Israel groups have attempted to frame the issue as one concerning antisemitism.

The state of Israel has also weighed in, with its embassy in London accusing WMP's leadership of being "dishonest" in their decision.

As part of the probe, Home Office civil servants reached out to Dutch officials last week, and are due to speak to the Dutch police about the violence in Amsterdam.

West Midlands Police leaders will also face the Home Affairs Select Committee on Monday to answer questions from MPs.

'Intent on violence'

In October, Dutch police related to their British counterparts that "significant numbers of Maccabi fans were actively involved in demonstrations and confrontations", adding that more than 200 of the club's travelling fans are linked to the Israeli army - a force accused of committing an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The Dutch police also highlighted that some 500-600 of the fans were "experienced fighters who were highly organised and co-ordinated. They were intent on serious violence and were not afraid of fighting with police".

Based on the evidence, WMP concluded that a portion of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans posed "a credible threat to public safety".

Footage shared from Amsterdam at the time appears to corroborate the police assessment, with video showing Maccabi fans shouting racist slogans - including "There are no schools in Gaza, as there are no children left", and "Death to Arabs".

The British police were also told that Maccabi fans pushed locals into canals and carried out other acts of violence.