The head of a police force at the centre of a row over a ban on Israeli football fans has defended his decision in front of British MPs.

The West Midlands Police assessment which led to the ban was based on intelligence provided by Dutch police about the conduct of Maccabi fans during a match against Amsterdam in November 2024.

A Guardian report on 21 October said that the police assessment “concluded the biggest risk of violence came from extremist fans of the Israeli club”.

Middle East Eye seperately revealed that Dutch police told their British counterparts that over 200 Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans who wreaked havoc in Amsterdam were “linked” to the Israeli military.

Documents seen by MEE said hundreds of fans were “experienced fighters”, “highly organised” and “intent on causing serious violence”. Dutch police reported that “significant numbers of Maccabi fans were actively involved in demonstrations and confrontations”.

Early reporting by media outlets on the violence in Amsterdam in 2024 characterised the violence as a “pogrom” against Jewish football fans. Footage later emerged of Maccabi fans attacking locals and chanting racist slogans against Arabs.

Violence involving Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is not limited to matches outside of Israel. On 19 October, Israeli authorities in Tel Aviv cancelled the match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv due to what police there described as “violent riots”.