From the BBC:
“Rioters in Amsterdam targeted
Israeli fans in 'explosion of antisemitism'”
The mayor of Amsterdam has
condemned what she called an "explosion of antisemitism" in the city,
during which Israeli football fans came under violent attack from local
rioters. Femke Halsema said youths on scooters had criss-crossed the Dutch
capital on Thursday night on the hunt for Israeli supporters in a
"hit-and-run". The police chief said five fans had been taken to
hospital and as many as 30 others had suffered minor injuries. Prosecutors said
a total of 62 people were arrested. Eight men and two minors were still in
custody on Friday. Supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv had travelled to
Amsterdam for a Europa League match against Ajax which passed off peacefully, "Antisemitic,
hateful rioters and criminals yesterday and last night have attacked Jewish
visitors visiting our city," Halsema told a press conference on Friday. "My
heart goes out to the victims and to their families here and in Israel as
well."
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof
said earlier he had been following developments from an EU leaders' summit with
horror, adding that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He emphasised that the "perpetrators will be tracked down and
prosecuted".
The night of violence came on the
eve of commemorations marking the Nazis' pogrom against Jews across Germany in
November 1938, and there was widespread shock that such an outbreak of
antisemitism could happen in the Dutch capital. The national co-ordinator for
combating antisemitism in the Netherlands said a line had been crossed and the
"readiness to commit such violence was disgusting". There had already
been arrests and trouble in Dam Square ahead of the match involving Maccabi
fans and pro-Palestinian protesters, and there were reports of supporters
setting off fireworks and tearing down a Palestinian flag on a nearby street.
One unverified video showed fans going down an escalator chanting anti-Arab
slogans.
Femke Halsema said Dutch
counter-terror co-ordinator NCTV had not flagged any concrete threat about the
game itself as there was no animosity between the fans of the two clubs. There
was no trouble at the game in which Ajax inflicted a heavy 5-0 defeat on the
visiting team. But the unrest spiralled out of control soon afterwards. Halsema
spoke of fans being "attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks" as
they walked from the Johan Cruyff Arena to the centre of Amsterdam. Police
initially said it was unclear who had taken part in the riots, although the
mayor later spoke of young men on scooters. The mayor was careful not to give
details about the ethnic backgrounds of those involved in the attack,
emphasising that it was part of the police investigation.
Several videos have circulated on
social media, with one showing a man being kicked and beaten on the ground and
another showing someone being run over. In some videos, people could be heard
shouting pro-Palestinian slogans, although the footage was not verified by the
BBC. Asked whether locals had been provoked by a Palestinian flag being torn
down in the city, the mayor said what had happened in the centre of her city
had nothing to do with protests about the situation in the Middle East, it was
a crime. "I am deeply ashamed of the behaviour that unfolded,"
Halsema told reporters. "On Telegram [messaging] groups people talked of
going to hunt down Jews. It's so terrible I can't find the words for it."
Police chief Peter Holla said he
had been deeply shocked with the events of the past 35 hours, insisting they
had prepared for this period for weeks. The mayor confirmed reports that taxi
drivers had been involved in the attacks, after the head of the Netherlands'
Central Jewish Committee (CJO) said they had "moved in groups and cornered
their targets". Chanan Hertzberger said "videos are circulating of
assaults and attempts to run over Israelis". Amsterdam's biggest taxi
company said its drivers had not been involved.
Israeli airline El Al said it was
operating two "rescue flights" to Amsterdam to bring passengers back
to Israel. The Israeli prime minister had earlier cancelled plans to send two
military planes. Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke of a "pogrom"
against Maccabi fans and Israeli citizens. Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert
Wilders who leads the biggest party in parliament also spoke of a pogrom,
saying "authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect
the Israeli citizens". Herzog said on X that he trusted the Dutch
authorities would act immediately to "protect, locate and rescue all
Israelis and Jews under attack".
^ In case you still needed to be told
that Anti-Semitism is alive and well today just see what happened in Amsterdam - one of the most tolerant of places – yesterday.
This attack on Jews (not just on
Israelis, but on the Jewish People) comes 2 days before the 86th
Anniversary of the Kristallnacht Pogrom in Nazi Germany – where in 1938 the
German People attacked and burned 7,000 Jewish Business and 267 Synagogues,
murdered 91 Jews and imprisoned 30,000 Jews in Concentration Camps.
Yesterday’s attack in Amsterdam seems
like the same sort of Pogrom that occurred in 1938.
It was not a typical Soccer Riot
you usually see or an Anti-Israeli riot it was violence against the Jewish People
(whether they are Israeli, Dutch, American, German, etc.)
I hope the Dutch bring those responsible
to justice and that no one lets this violence go unpunished. ^
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