Tens of thousands of signatures gathered in England calling for Israel to be banned from football

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Tens of thousands of signatures have been collected in England for a petition demanding that Israel be banned from international football over its actions in Gaza and calling for the cancellation of a match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The petition, launched by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in the UK and signed by 25,000 people, was delivered to the Football Association at Wembley Stadium by the platform's director, Lewis Backon.

Backon said outside Wembley Stadium that teams from a state responsible for genocide and apartheid should not be playing in international football competitions.

Aston Villa will face Maccabi Tel Aviv at home in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.

West Midlands Police had classified the match as "high risk" based on current intelligence and past incidents, while the Safety Advisory Group, comprised of police, the municipality and security experts, had announced that away fans would not be allowed into the stadium.