Minister urges caution over ‘Jew-free zone’ claims after West Midlands Police Maccabi fan ban
Baroness Fox said 'a Jew-free zone was created in the West Midlands'
A government minister has cautioned against the use of “emotive rhetoric” such as references to “Jew-free areas” in discussions about community safety, arguing that such language is unhelpful.
Labour minister Lord Lemos was responding to comments from non-affiliated peer Baroness Fox during a debate on the West Midlands Police’s decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a recent Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham.
Baroness Fox criticised the police action, stating that “a Jew-free zone was created in the West Midlands—with, it appears, official sanction.”
She argued that this “implies that officialdom thinks that Jews are not welcome in a major city in this country, and it is shameful,” and called on the Government to take strong action.
Lord Lemos replied: “I do not recognise the Baroness’s characterisation of any part of the United Kingdom as being ‘Jew-free’; that is a highly emotive way to describe it.
“However, I share the concerns of those who want to ensure that people of all religions—but, particularly in the current climate, Jewish people—can go about their lives without fear of intimidation. I am not sure that emotive rhetoric about Jew-free areas is helpful in this conversation.”
When asked about alleged inaccuracies in a West Midlands Police report on the actions of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of the match, Lord Lemos said: “The Government are limited in what they can say at this time about the intelligence used by West Midlands Police following alleged inaccuracies reported in the media, but I can tell my noble friend that the Policing Minister has written to the chief constable of West Midlands Police requesting an urgent response on the intelligence his force relied on and his confidence in it. Obviously, we have noted the press reports.”
He added that the Prime Minister has made clear the Government remains committed to ensuring that all fans can attend football matches safely, regardless of their background.
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