Israeli football fans were attacked in a “pogrom” in Amsterdam last night, raising fears for citizens’ safety abroad amid a global rise in antisemitism and outrage over the devastation of Gaza.
Five people were taken to hospital with injuries after riots “erupted” in the Dutch capital following a match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, said The Guardian. Police said they were investigating reports of a “possible hostage situation and of missing persons”, and that 62 people had been arrested so far.
The prime minister, Dick Schoof, condemned the “antisemitic attacks”, adding that “the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted”. The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, described the violence as an “antisemitic pogrom” against Israeli citizens, taking place two days before the anniversary of one of the worst Nazi pogroms against Jews: Kristallnacht.
‘It looked like a war zone’
“The match was fraught from the start,” said Politico.
Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, originally sought to prevent trouble by moving a planned pro-Palestine protest away from the Johan Cruyff Arena. Dutch authorities said a large group then tried to march to the stadium and were blocked by riot police who arrested more than 50 people.
The hours before the match were “very turbulent”, according to a statement by Amsterdam’s municipality; there were several incidents of violence against Maccabi supporters.
Videos circulating on social media also show “dozens of men” in Maccabi scarves gathering in Amsterdam’s central Dam Square before the match, lighting flares amid a “heavy police presence”, said The New York Times. Later, some were heard “using expletives in an anti-Arab chant in Hebrew”.
Videos also showed Israeli fans “tearing down Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Arab slogans” before the match, said Sky News’ Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall. Maccabi supporters reportedly booed in the stadium during a minute’s silence for victims of the floods in Spain.
After the match, things quickly turned “extremely ugly”. Israelis were “chased, beaten and kicked on the floor”. Some videos appear to show fans being “forced to show their passports”. The violence “resurfaces the worst memories of antisemitism in Europe”, especially considering the timing of the Kristallnacht anniversary.
Hundreds of Maccabi fans were “ambushed for hours”, the Netherlands’ Israeli embassy said in a statement. “Mobs chanted anti-Israel slogans and proudly shared videos of their violent acts on social media – kicking, beating, even running over Israeli citizens.”
The head of the country’s Central Jewish Committee also accused taxi drivers of helping to “whip up the violence”, said the BBC. “They moved in groups and cornered their targets,” said Chanan Hertzberger.
“We don’t feel safe,” one Israeli told Dutch state broadcaster NOS. “You come to the game to have fun, but I can’t believe what happened here. I come here for a holiday, but it looked like a war zone.”
‘A blaring alarm call for Europe and the world’
Maccabi Tel Aviv was forced to warn its fans not to show Israeli or Jewish symbols outside, and to fly back to Israel as soon as they could. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled plans to send two military planes, after deeming it no longer necessary, but Israeli airline El Al said it was operating two rescue flights to Amsterdam to bring passengers back to Israel free of charge, having been granted permission to fly on Shabbat.
Dutch authorities said extra police would patrol Amsterdam, which has a large Jewish community, in the coming days and security will be “beefed up” at Jewish institutions and memorials such as Anne Frank‘s house, said The Independent.
Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, is travelling to the Netherlands for an “urgent diplomatic visit”, according to Israeli media. He has called the attack “a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world”.
“Freedom-loving countries, democracies, cannot allow unbridled hatred to roam the streets with impunity,” he said. “As history has shown – what begins with persecution and violence against Jews never ends with the Jews.”