On Friday, Israel sent two planes to bring home fans of an Israeli soccer team from the Netherlands following overnight attacks described as antisemitic. Videos shared on social media showed riot police stepping in during street clashes, with some attackers yelling anti-Israeli slurs.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema reported that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were “attacked, abused, and pelted with fireworks.” She stated that riot police had to intervene multiple times to protect the fans and escort them to safety at their hotels.
Since Israel began its military actions in Gaza after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands have increased significantly, with many Jewish organizations and schools reporting threats and hate mail.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the decision to send planes after “a very violent incident” targeting Israeli citizens following the match between Maccabi and Ajax Amsterdam, which is traditionally known as a Jewish club.
An eyewitness shared a video, verified by Reuters, showing a group of men running near Amsterdam Central Station, chasing and attacking others as police sirens could be heard in the background.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressed horror at the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens, calling them “completely unacceptable.” He assured Netanyahu over the phone that “the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted,” as stated on social media.
Geert Wilders, a prominent anti-Muslim politician and leader of the largest party in the Dutch government, voiced his shame that such events could occur in the Netherlands.
57 Arrests Made
Police reported that 57 suspects were detained after the game, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted to approach the Johan Cruyff Arena, despite the city banning protests at that location. Fans left the stadium without incident after the Europa League match, which Ajax won 5-0, but clashes broke out later in the city center.
President Isaac Herzog, along with other senior Israeli officials, noted that the violence reminded them of the attacks by Hamas last year and the historical attacks on European Jews. “We see with horror the shocking images and videos that we had hoped never to see again since October 7: an antisemitic pogrom against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam,” he wrote on social media.
Israel’s leading newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, quoted Israeli fans suggesting that the attacks seemed premeditated. The Israeli military announced it would send cargo planes to the Netherlands, along with medical and rescue teams, in coordination with the Dutch government.
The ongoing Gaza conflict has triggered protests supporting both sides throughout Europe and the United States, resulting in violence against both Jews and Arabs. Health officials in Gaza report over 43,000 Palestinian deaths and 102,000 injuries due to Israel’s military actions in response to the Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in over 250 hostages being taken.
