Louie French MP's comment piece published by LBC Opinion.
Whether that is players wearing black armbands to Kick Racism out of Football or Wear Red Day - which is today - in support of the charity Show Racism the Red Card, clubs and officials are at pains to proudly stand against hatred.
But when that hatred and racism was directed towards Jews, the authorities have shamefully decided to cave in to antisemitic aggression from activists and hate preachers.
Instead of standing up to racism, West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council have decided to ban away fans of the Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv from coming to watch their team play Aston Villa in Birmingham in the Europa League next month.
They classed the match as “high risk” and said that they would not allow away fans to travel in the interests of public safety.
The police cited a fear of the repeat of “violent clashes and hate crime offences” that occurred in Amsterdam last year when Maccabi played Ajax.
Let’s be clear, the shocking scenes in Amsterdam were an antisemitic pogrom against the travelling Maccabi fans.
Over two days, Jewish fans were attacked by riotous young men waving Palestine flags.
Four members of the local Muslim population were jailed afterwards.
The violence was organised on a WhatsApp chat group of 900 people which the court heard was used to pass on information to "commit violence against people of Jewish descent and/or supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv".
The court heard the organisers called for a city-wide 'rage' against 'cancer Jews' and 'cancer Zionists’.
So, this is what the police in Birmingham were worried about happening again.
Not least after the local MP Ayoub Khan urged people to sign a petition calling for the match to be cancelled.
He ought to be ashamed about his actions which have whipped up anti-Jewish sentiment in a predominantly Muslim area around the stadium.
In recent weeks there have been protests outside Villa Park by a hardline group calling itself Youth Front For Palestine, who have a banner celebrating “our martyrs” and “resistance” in Gaza.
Less there be confusion about what they mean, the banner features an inverted red triangle symbol which has become synonymous with Hamas.
A video has also emerged of a Birmingham imam recently declaring that “we will show no mercy toward Maccabi Tel Aviv fans”.
These are the people now cheering at the decision made by West Midlands Police and the city council’s Safety Advisory Board.
So, for all the talk about “showing racism the red card” when it comes to Jews it appears the authorities think they just don’t count.
It is a disturbing reflection on the current state of Britain that the police bent the knee to the racist mob rather than stand strong against the tide of anti-semetic hatred engulfing the country.
For the past two years we have seen almost weekly hate-spewing marches on our streets.
University campuses have been taken over by mobs of activists chanting anti-semtic slogans such as “from the River to the Sea”.
NHS doctors and nurses have been allowed to spout support for Palestinian terrorists without even facing suspension.
The BBC broadcast antisemitic chants to kill Jews at Glastonbury.
Jewish artists have had events cancelled because of threats by hate mobs against venues.
And now football - our beautiful game - has become the latest of our cherished institutions to become infected with this virus of antisemitism.
I say enough is enough.
This is not the British way.
We are a country proudly built on attitudes of tolerance and moderation.
We must stand strong against the tide of tyranny and division.
The starting point must be with West Midlands Police reversing this terrible decision.
Let the Maccabi fans come, and we will protect them and proudly stand with them against the forces of hate.
We must show all racists the red card, not just some of them.
