Amsterdam mayor condemns ‘outburst’ of violence as Israeli government flies fans home
Amsterdam police have made more than 60 arrests following violence in the Dutch capital overnight after a Europa League football match, as planes sent by Israel’s government flew in on Friday afternoon to take home fans of the losing Israeli team.
The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, described an “outburst” of antisemitism with “hit and run” attacks on visiting supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“Men on scooters crisscrossed the city looking for Israeli football fans. It was a hit and run. I can easily understand that this brings back memories of pogroms,” Halsema said.
“Our city has been deeply damaged. Jewish culture has been deeply threatened. This is an outburst of antisemitism that I hope to never see again,” she added.
The leaders of Israel and the Netherlands condemned “antisemitic” attacks while a leading Jewish group has said the Dutch capital should be “deeply ashamed”.
Police said on Friday they had launched “a major investigation into multiple violent incidents” and that five people had been taken to hospital and 62 arrested. There was no evidence of “kidnappings or hostage takings” but police were “probing reports”.
Officials in Amsterdam said that in several places in the city, supporters were attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks and that riot police had to intervene several times to protect Israeli supporters and escort them to hotels.
There were no reports of trouble during the match at the Johan Cruyff arena, in which Ajax Amsterdam defeated Maccabi 5-0 and fans left the stadium without incident, police said..
Residents and businesses in Amsterdam were shocked by what appeared to be organised small groups of locals chasing Israeli fans in Amsterdam’s city centre after the match.
Theodoor van Boven, owner of the Condomerie, near Dam Square on the Warmoesstraat, said he saw gangs apparently hunting, and chasing, opposing fans. “What we saw here in the street in the evening and at night were groups of often Dutch groups who were out hunting, who were looking for Maccabi fans. They were on foot in groups, on scooters, riding round looking, and telephoning each other – it [seemed to be] organised.”
“They saw everyone in yellow [Maccabi Tel Aviv’s home-strip colour], they jumped on us,” a young woman identified only as Pnina, told the Dutch public broadcaster from Schipol airport. She said her group had hidden in their hotel “until it was safe to go outside”.
Ron, another departing fan, said it had been a “terrible night” and “very scary”.
A police spokesperson said there had been “incidents on both sides” on Wednesday night.
He added: “Maccabi supporters removed a flag from a facade on the Rokin and they destroyed a taxi. A Palestinian flag was set on fire on the Dam.” Unverified footage posted to social media appeared to show some Maccabi fans chanting in Hebrew: “Finish the Arabs! We’re going to win!”
One Amsterdam resident, Barbara Weenink, said she had found the behaviour of Israeli fans threatening. Weenink, who has demonstrated at pro-Palestine events, said she was warned not to go out with a keffiyeh on that evening. She did not see the events after the match but had seen Israeli football fans before it. “I saw the Israeli fans walking here before the match – I found it very threatening,” she said.
The conflict in Gaza has heightened community tensions across Europe, with soaring antisemitic abuse and attacks. Islamophobic incidents have also risen to record levels.
In a statement, the office of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described a “planned antisemitic attack against Israeli citizens” and requested that security be increased for the Dutch Jewish community.
Netanyahu cancelled plans announced early on Friday to send two military rescue planes to Amsterdam and officials in Jerusalem said efforts would instead focus on using commercial airlines, primarily El Al, Israel’s national carrier.
El Al said on Friday morning that, following special permission from Jewish religious authorities to operate on the sabbath, a first flight would leave Amsterdam for Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon and further free flights would continue through Saturday as necessary.
The Dutch prime minister, Dick Schoof, said he was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli civilians” that were “completely unacceptable”. He said he had spoken to Netanyahu by phone “to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted”.
In a social media post on Friday, Geert Wilders, who leads the far-right Freedom party, the largest in the Dutch governing coalition, criticised his own government for a “lack of urgency”. He wrote: “Why is there no extra cabinet meeting? Where is the sense of urgency?”
Wilders, who is well known for his anti-Muslim positions and does not have a formal role in the government, said the Dutch authorities “will be held accountable for their failure to protect” Israeli citizens.
Leaders of Dutch Jewish organisations noted the violence had taken place on the evening the Dutch Jewish community had commemorated Kristallnacht, the 1938 state-sanctioned pogrom and murderous rampage in Nazi Germany and controlled territories that paved the way for the Holocaust.
Chanan Hertzberger, the chairman of the Central Jewish Consultation, described “antisemitic gangs who, under the guise of anti-Zionism, have been trying to make life impossible for Jews in the Netherlands for some time”..
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was “outraged” by “vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam”, while Uefa, the governing body of football in Europe, said it strongly condemned “the incidents and acts of violence”. The UN called the violence “very troubling” while Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said it was “terrible” and “deeply shameful.”
In a tweet, Deborah Lipstadt, the US antisemitism envoy, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the attacks and called for an investigation.
Ajax released a brief statement condemning the violence, saying: “After a sporting football match with a good atmosphere in our stadium – for which we thank all parties involved for the good cooperation – we were horrified to learn what happened in the centre of Amsterdam last night.”
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