We have been watching the developments surrounding West Midlands Police’s decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the Aston Villa match with growing shock and concern.

After witnessing the horrifying violence in Amsterdam, where Jewish fans were chased, assaulted, and terrorised by Islamist mobs, the expectation was that British policing would prioritise protecting victims of antisemitic attacks. Instead, West Midlands Police appears to have engaged in outright victim-blaming, seemingly to appease the very groups intent on emulating the “Jew hunt” witnessed in Amsterdam.

It is now clear West Midlands Police relied on incorrect, misleading, and wholly invented claims to justify the ban, creating the impression of Maccabi supporter disorder where none existed. This has included mischaracterising incidents, inventing a match that did not take place, and even reversing an incident in which a Jewish supporter was thrown into a river, reframing the victim as the aggressor.

Such was the magnitude of misinformation that Dutch police have publicly dismissed the false claims attributed to them and rejected the narrative put forward by West Midlands Police, one that sought to blame Jewish fans rather than their attackers.

Now Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara has now been forced to apologise for misleading a Parliamentary committee by implying that the Jewish community supported the decision to ban Maccabi fans. Having already blamed Jewish victims for the violence inflicted upon them, West Midlands Police then attempted to use British Jews as cover for their actions.

It is becoming increasingly clear that West Midlands Police Is institutionally antisemitic and the problem starts at the top. A police force exists to protect all communities. When that duty is compromised, accountability must follow.

Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara and Chief Constable Craig Guildford have, through their actions, lost the confidence required to hold positions of public trust. Their misleading of Parliament, misrepresentation of events, and failure to protect Jewish and Israeli supporters demand immediate consequence.

We therefore call for their dismissal without delay. Zero tolerance for antisemitism must apply to every institution, especially those entrusted with public safety.