Dear Aston Villa,

I am reaching out to urge you not to play Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa League on November 6.

On Aston Villa’s EDI page, it says the club: “takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment, victimisation, bullying and abuse and endorses the principle of equality, valuing diversity and inclusion and combating unfair treatment throughout its organisation, supporters, and staff.”

The Maccabi Tel Aviv team and their home country, Israel, do not hold the same values.

Israel is committing genocide and war crimes and should not be allowed to sportswash its crimes by Maccabi Tel Aviv playing Aston Villa.

Maccabi Tel Aviv have regularly sent care packages to Israeli soldiers who are taking part in the genocide. They’ve also released videos featuring club employees serving as soldiers in Gaza, used as motivation ahead of matches.

When Maccabi Tel Aviv played against Ajax in Amsterdam in 2024, gangs of fans took to the streets singing genocidal chants. As a result, Amsterdam City Council declared the team unwelcome due to their contribution to “occupation or racism.”

As for Palestine, Palestinian footballers struggle to get visas to travel for matches, as Israel’s apartheid regime limits their movement. Israelis, however, can travel freely.

Palestinians have also been subjected to constant bombing and starvation. Footballer Suleiman al-Obeid, often referred to as the “Palestinian Pelé,” was killed by an Israeli attack while waiting for aid. Mohammed Barakat, one of Gaza’s top scorers, was killed after his home in Khan Younis was bombed. Coach and assistant Olympic coach Hani Al-Masdar was killed by an Israeli aerial assault in central Gaza.

Suleiman, Mohammed, and Hani are just a few of the over 400 footballers who have been killed by Israel.

Israel has destroyed much of Palestine’s sports infrastructure, including football clubs, pitches, and multipurpose sports halls. Those that remain are used as makeshift hospitals or aid distribution centres.

Aston Villa playing Maccabi Tel Aviv would be a shameful act of sportswashing and normalising Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

I urge you to take your EDI policy seriously. Make an ethical, principled stand and refuse to play Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 6.

Yours sincerely