Israel slams violence against Maccabi fans in Amsterdam

 

Israel slams violence against Maccabi fans in Amsterdam

November 8, 2024

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2024/11/israel-slams-violence-against-maccabi-fans-in-amsterdam/

 

Israel is reportedly sending two planes to Amsterdam to bring home supporters of Tel Aviv football club Maccabi after a string of incidents surrounding Thursday night’s Europa League football tie against Ajax.

 

Footage on social media shows Maccabi supporters being followed and attacked by masked men and while police have not yet commented on the videos, they did arrest 57 people during the trouble.

 

Israeli media is reporting that 10 Israelis have been admitted to hospital and the Israeli embassy in the US has issued footage showing a man being kicked as he lay on the ground. Other films show fans being forced to shout “Free Palestine”.

 

According to newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli national security council issued emergency instructions to Israelis in the city, telling them to stay in their hotel rooms and avoid displaying anything that could identify them as Jewish or Israeli.

 

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the footage on Thursday evening and spoke of an “extremely violent incident” against Israelis in Amsterdam.

 

He said Israel is sending two planes to bring its citizens home, although Schiphol airport said it has no requests for other landings outside regular services.

 

America’s special representative for combating anti-Semitism said on social media the footage is like that of a “classical pogrom”. Deborah Lipstadt drew similarities with Kristallnacht in 1938 in Nazi Germany. Kristallnacht will be commemorated on Saturday evening.

 

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema had already moved a demonstration by pro-Palestine campaigners which had been due to take place next to the Johan Cruijff stadium because of the security risk.

 

And she told reporters later that there had been no legal grounds to ban Maccabi supporters from coming to the Dutch capital despite widespread fears there could be trouble.

 

Prime minister Dick Schoof said in a reaction to the trouble that “anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis are completely unacceptable” and said the perpetrators will be tracked down and punished. Halsema has not yet reacted to the trouble.