The chief constable of Britain’s West Midlands Police force said he would retire immediately after being heavily criticised over a decision to ban soccer fans of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a game at Aston Villa last year.
The West Midlands force, which covers Birmingham in central England and is one of Britain’s biggest, recommended that the Israeli fans should not be allowed to attend a Europa League match on November 6 because of security concerns. The decision caused a diplomatic dispute, coming shortly after an antisemitic attack that killed two men at a synagogue in northwest England and when tensions were high because of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
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