A spokesperson for the British government said on Tuesday that it is “saddened” by Maccabi Tel Aviv’s decision to decline tickets for an upcoming match in the UK, following a local police order banning fans of the Israeli club from attending the game next month.

“We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so,” the spokesperson said. “It is completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponized to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us. We will never tolerate antisemitism or extremism on our streets.”

Government officials in Israel and the UK, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, condemned the decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), in collaboration with West Midlands Police, to ban Maccabi fans from a Nov. 6 match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham because of “public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”

In a statement on Monday, Maccabi said the “toxic atmosphere” puts the safety of its fans at risk. “The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context,” the team said. “We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”

In November 2024, Maccabi fans were violently assaulted in a premeditated and coordinated attack following a soccer game in Amsterdam between the soccer team and the Dutch club Ajax.

The Israeli soccer team in its statement on Monday acknowledged efforts by the British government and police to ensure that its fans can attend the Nov. 6 match safely, “and are grateful for the messages of support from across the footballing community and society at large.”

“We as a club believe that football should be about bringing people together, not driving them apart, and no one should feel unsafe for simply wanting to come and support their team nor feel any hesitation about being accompanied by family and friends,” the team added. “Our fans regularly travel all over Europe without incident and to suggest that the reason our fans cannot be allowed to travel is due to their behavior is an attempt to distort reality and to excuse the real underlying reasons for the decision to ban our fans. Our fans, the Jewish community know all too well this tactic and all are too familiar with where it can lead.”

On Sunday, a soccer match in Israel between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abruptly canceled after soccer fans threw smoke grenades and pyrotechnics devices onto the field and injured dozens of people, including police officers. Rioting soccer fans outside of the stadium, who were upset about cancellation, threw bottles and assaulted police officers. Maccabi said Hapoel fans were responsible for the disorderly conduct that led to the game being called off.

American actor Robert De Niro described White House aide Stephen Miller, who is Jewish, as a “Nazi” during an appearance on the MSNBC program “The Weekend.”

De Niro, 82, made the comment on Sunday while saying he believes that US President Donald Trump will push for a third term in office after his current term ends. The actor is an avid critic of Trump, who under the US Constitution cannot seek another term in office.

“We see it, we see it, we see it … we see it all the time — he will not want to leave. He set it up with his, I guess he’s the Goebbels of the cabinet, Stephen Miller. He’s a Nazi. Yes, he is,” the “Casino” star said, comparing Miller to Nazi Party propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.

“And he’s [Miller’s] Jewish, and he should be ashamed of himself,” De Niro added about Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, who is also the co-founder of America First Legal. Miller has not responded to De Niro’s accusations.

De Niro’s comments came as thousands of people over the weekend participated in “No Kings” demonstrations in New York and across the country to protest Trump. De Niro described the president as a man with “no empathy” who wants to “hurt” the US.

The “Goodfellas” actor and longtime New Yorker was also asked about the upcoming mayoral election in New York. He said he is still unsure who he will vote for, but also praised Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who has been accused of promoting antisemitic and anti-Israel views. “He is young and smart, and he means well,” De Niro said. “He’s not a mean person. He’s not a bad person … at the end of the day I feel that – and at this point I don’t know enough yet to go further, but – he could be somebody that would be the right choice.”

Turkey’s ties to Hamas, once a liability in Washington, have turned into a geopolitical asset. By persuading Hamas to accept Donald Trump’s Gaza deal, Ankara has reasserted itself on the Middle East chessboard, to the dismay of Israel and Arab rivals.

Initially resistant to the US president’s ultimatum — free the Israeli hostages or face continued devastation — Hamas leaders relented only when Turkey, a country they view as a political patron, urged them to agree to the American plan.

Two regional sources and two Hamas officials told Reuters that Ankara’s message was unequivocal: The time had come to accept.

“This gentleman from a place called Turkey is one of the most powerful in the world,” Trump said last week, referring to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, after the Palestinian terrorist group agreed to a ceasefire and hostage-release plan.

“He’s a reliable ally. He’s always there when I need him.”

Erdogan’s signature on the Gaza document supercharged Turkey‘s push for a central role in the Middle East, a status Erdogan has increasingly sought to reclaim, often invoking Ottoman-era ties and leadership.

Now, after the deal, Turkey is seeking to reap dividends, including in bilateral issues with the US, the sources said.

Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based think tank EDAM and a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, said Ankara’s success in delivering Hamas’s acceptance of Trump’s Gaza deal has given it new diplomatic leverage at home and abroad.

Turkey, he said, is likely to use its renewed goodwill in Washington to push for progress on stalled F-35 fighter jet sales, an easing of US sanctions, and US help in advancing Turkey‘s security goals in neighboring Syria.

“If those laudatory statements from Trump translate into lasting goodwill, Ankara could use that momentum to resolve some of the long-standing disagreements,” Ulgen told Reuters.

AT TRUMP-ERDOGAN MEETING, A REVAMP OF TIES BEGAN

The diplomatic recalibration between Ankara and Washington, officials said, began during Erdogan’s September visit to the White House, his first in six years.

The meeting addressed unresolved flashpoints, including Turkey‘s push to lift US sanctions imposed in 2020 over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, a move that angered Washington and also led to its removal from the F-35 program.

Syria was another key topic. Turkey wants to pressure the US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to merge into the Syrian army. Ankara views the SDF as a threat due to its ties to the PKK, which Turkey designates a terrorist group.

That push appears to be gaining ground. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi confirmed a mechanism to merge with the Syrian army, an outcome Turkey sees as a strategic win.

The Gaza deal follows other boosts to Turkish prestige. Trump praised Erdogan for hosting Russia-Ukraine talks earlier this year, and Ankara’s influence grew after Bashar al-Assad’s fall in Syria in 2024, where Turkey backed opposition forces.

Turkey’s ambition to reclaim a dominant Middle East role recalls for some sceptics the legacy of the Ottoman empire, which once ruled much of the region. Its collapse a century ago left modern Turkey inward-looking as it built a secular republic and somewhat sidelined from regional diplomacy.

For years, Ankara was not part of high-level efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, a core source of regional instability. Turkey‘s support for Islamist movements — including political and diplomatic backing for Hamas, whose leaders it has hosted — strained ties with Israel and several Arab states, and its perceived drift under Erdogan from NATO norms further distanced it from peacemaking.

But to break the deadlock in Gaza ceasefire talks, Trump turned to Erdogan, betting on the Turkish leader’s sway over Hamas. Turkish officials, led by spy chief Ibrahim Kalin, assured Hamas the ceasefire had regional and US backing, including Trump’s personal guarantee.

By enlisting Erdogan, Trump handed Ankara the role it craved as a dominant regional Sunni power. The move unsettled Israel and rival Arab states, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, long wary of Erdogan’s Islamist ambitions, two diplomats said.

“Erdogan is a master in expanding his influence, seizing opportunities, taking advantage of events, turning them to his own interest and taking credit for them,” said Arab political commentator Ayman Abdel Nour. “Obviously the Gulf countries were not happy about Turkey taking a leading role on Gaza but at the same time they wanted this conflict to end, to see an agreement and to see Hamas sidelined.”

While Arab states shared an interest with Turkey in ending the war, said Lebanese analyst Sarkis Naoum, the larger role given to Ankara was worrisome for them, recalling the history of Ottoman imperial rule over many countries in the region.

Turkey‘s Foreign Ministry and MIT intelligence agency did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. The US State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

For Hamas, the main concern was that Israel might renege on the deal and resume military operations. Deep distrust nearly derailed the process, regional sources said.

“The only real guarantee,” a senior Hamas official told Reuters, “came from four parties: Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and the Americans. Trump personally gave his word. The US message was: ‘release the hostages, hand over the bodies, and I guarantee there will be no return to war.’”

CRUSHING PRESSURE ON HAMAS

Turkey’s entry into the talks was initially vetoed by Israel, but Trump intervened, pressuring Israel to allow Ankara’s involvement, two diplomats said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel’s foreign ministry.

A senior Hamas official said Gaza’s military leaders accepted the truce not as surrender, but under the crushing pressure of relentless mediation, a collapsing humanitarian situation, and a war-weary public.

The deal won the release of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 people, and triggered an Israeli offensive.

Whether the Gaza deal will eventually open a way toward a Palestinian state remains unclear. Turkey and Arab states including Qatar and Egypt say the plan lacks a roadmap toward a two-state solution, a historic Palestinian demand.

Asked about a potential Turkish troop deployment to Gaza in a post-war scenario and ways to ensure the enclave’s security, Erdogan said on Oct. 8 the ceasefire talks were critical for discussing the issue in detail, but the priority was achieving a full ceasefire, aid deliveries and rebuilding Gaza.