Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam

Image taken from video, police escort Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters to the metro station leading them to the Ajax stadium, after pro-Palestinian supporters marched near the stadium, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. InterVision/AP/AP hide caption

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InterVision/AP/AP

LONDON—Leading political figures in the Netherlands have condemned a night of violence in Amsterdam, after Israeli soccer fans visiting the city were attacked in the streets.

The country's prime minister Dick Schoof said on social media he had followed updates over the "antisemitic attacks" on Israeli supporters of the Tel Aviv Maccabi soccer team "with horror," and said the violence had been "completely unacceptable," while Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said on social media he plans to travel to the Netherlands urgently for an "unplanned visit."

Sa'ar called the attack "a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world," that allowed "unbridled hatred to roam the streets with impunity," while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's initially described it as a "very violent incident."

Dutch police said that 62 people had been arrested following several clashes between the Israeli fans and Amsterdam residents in the city center late into the evening, despite the efforts of local police.

Authorities said that all demonstrations would be banned through the weekend, and police patrols would be significantly stepped up to stem any more violence that could further tarnish the reputation of a global city long hailed for its tolerance and cosmopolitan nature.

The city's mayor Femke Halsema at a press conference Friday lunchtime condemned what she called "hit and run" attacks on the visiting fans, who had travelled to watch their team take on the Dutch giants Ajax in an annual soccer tournament that involves teams from across Europe.

Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema, centre, acting Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla, left, and head of the Amsterdam public prosecutor's office René de Beukelaer hold a news conference after Israeli fans and protesters clashed overnight after a soccer match, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Friday Nov, 8, 2024. Mike Corder/AP/AP hide caption

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Mike Corder/AP/AP

She said local men on scooters had sought out Israeli fans for several hours, in what she termed a threat to Jewish life and culture in Amsterdam that reminded her of the reprehensible pogroms that saw thousands of Jews massacred in previous centuries of the Netherlands' history.

She said she had sought to involve Dutch counter-terrorism officials in the lead-up to the match, but had been told there were no "concrete threats" involving either players or fans.

One Israeli fan, 24-year-old Adi Reuben, told the BBC that around ten assailants had kicked and hit him, breaking his nose while shouting "Jewish, IDF" - in reference to the Israeli Defense Forces.

 
Another fan, Joni Pogrebetsy, told the Reuters news agency that he had encountered the violence on the way back to his central hotel, after being warned about it by a local restaurant owner. He said police officers arrived "really late" and by that point "a lot of people were already hurt, injured."

The Dutch police chief Peter Holla said 5 individuals were taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged, and one video posted online showed an Israeli fan being seemingly beaten unconscious.

But Holla, who described his own "really shocked" reaction during a press conference, also said Tel Aviv Maccabi fans had set alight a Palestinian flag in the city and attacked a taxi, and clashes between the different groups had continued into the early hours of Friday morning, with a further 30 Maccabi fans facing less severe injuries.

 Videos posted online seem to show Maccabi Tel Aviv fans - some of whom are known in Israel for aggressive behavior against Palestinian players - shouting racist anti-Arab epithets and slogans against Palestine.