Israeli, Dutch and European leaders condemned this Friday the anti-Semitic attacks that broke out in Amsterdam overnight after a Europa League match, after which Israel sent rescue planes for its citizens.
The violence broke out after the game between local team Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which Ajax won 5-0. Five people were hospitalized and 62 arrested as a result of the clashes, police reported.
“In several places in the city, supporters were attacked, assaulted and had fireworks thrown at them. “Riot police had to intervene on several occasions, protect Israeli fans and escort them to hotels,” Amsterdam authorities reported.
As fans of both teams gathered in Amsterdam for Thursday’s match, police said they were alert and monitoring several incidents, including the tearing down of a Palestinian flag from a building.
Social media was filled with images purportedly showing violence, although confirmed details of the clashes were scarce.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned anti-Semitic violence, saying the “shocking images” of a “pogrom” were reminiscent of Hamas’ attack on Israel last year.
“We see with horror this morning the shocking images and videos that since October 7 we hoped we would never see again: an anti-Semitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands,” said Herzog in X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered two planes to be sent to the Netherlands to bring Israeli supporters home. The first plane took off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for Amsterdam on Friday.
“Horror”
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof denounced the “completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks against Israelis.”
“I followed the coverage from Amsterdam with horror,” Schoof wrote in X, adding that he had spoken to Netanyahu to assure him that “those responsible will be tracked down and prosecuted.”
Netanyahu’s office said he told Schoof that he viewed the premeditated anti-Semitic attack on Israeli citizens with the utmost seriousness and called for greater security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.
Dutch authorities said they would hold a news conference later.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was “outraged” by the “vile attacks directed against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam.”
“I firmly condemn these unacceptable acts,” Von der Leyen wrote in X. “Anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight against all forms of hate,” he added.
Meanwhile, the United Nations called the violence “very worrying,” while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said it was “terrible” and “deeply shameful.”
The AT5 media outlet reported that numerous fights and acts of vandalism occurred in the city center. “There are a large number of mobile unit vehicles and reinforcements have been called,” he reported. “It is alleged that the youths also provoked the police.”
An unverified video on social media, reportedly filmed on Thursday, appeared to show some Maccabi fans chanting in Hebrew: “End the Arabs! “We are going to win!”
The Israeli embassy in the United States claimed that “hundreds” of Maccabi fans were “ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam this evening as they left the stadium after the game.”
In its post on X, the embassy blamed the incident on a “mob that attacked innocent Israelis.”
Israeli authorities urged their citizens in Amsterdam to stay in their hotels and avoid displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols if they went out.
The military said it was coordinating a “rescue mission” with cargo planes, medical and rescue teams.
Israel’s new Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement that he had requested the assistance of the Dutch government to ensure the safe departure of Israeli citizens from their hotels to the airport to catch rescue flights.
A pro-Palestinian demonstration against the visit of the Israeli soccer club was initially scheduled to take place near the stadium on Thursday, but was relocated by Amsterdam city hall for security reasons.
In another possible flashpoint linked to soccer, France is scheduled to face Israel in an international match at the Stade de France in Paris next Thursday. The French government announced on Friday that the match would go ahead as planned.
The violence in Amsterdam came against a backdrop of growing anti-Israel sentiment and reports of anti-Semitic acts around the world, as Israel fights wars against Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon and Gaza, conflicts that have resulted in heavy casualties.
The word of King William Alexander
The president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, spoke this Friday with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, according to his office in a statement.
The king expressed his “deep horror and shock” at the attack on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam, telling Herzog: “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II and last night we failed again.” ”.
William promised that his government will do everything possible to ensure the safety of visitors and facilitate their safe return to Israel.
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