Last night in Amsterdam hundreds of fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football team were attacked and beaten after Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League match against Ajax. It was not the usual brawl between ultras, because everything was meticulously prepared, nor a simple demonstration in favor of Palestine. The all-Arab attackers, with their faces covered, had divided themselves into groups, hiding in the alleys, at the entrances to the stations and near the hotels that hosted the Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv. They knew exactly where to wait for them outside the stadium as they left and at that point they attacked them, chased them armed with knives and sticks for over an hour, then chased them with cars, even running over them without any intervention from the police. Law enforcement officers who did not escort Israeli fans to the hotels. Videos circulating on the web and on social media show fans violently attacked, beaten and run over. One of the fans was forced to say “Liberate Palestine” before being let go. Some fans barricaded themselves in shops and other places in the city. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that ten fans were injured and that two people were missing, and that attempts were underway to contact them. An Israeli who witnessed what was happening told Kan 11 News: «They were waiting in groups at every corner and as soon as they recognized the Israelis, they started chasing them. Others waited near the hotels and the casino in larger groups and also attacked the fans there. Then others passed by in cars and did not stop honking near the hotels where the Israelis were staying.” Another Israeli witness described the facts thus: “The police only started to intervene after about half an hour or 45 minutes since the beginning of the attacks, after the attackers had thrown firecrackers at people and inside buildings.” An Amsterdam Police spokesman said 62 suspects had been arrested during the incidents, but could not confirm whether those arrested were Ajax fans.
The reactions in Israel
The Israeli prime minister’s office said: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the details regarding the extremely violent incident against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam, has carried out an assessment with his Military Secretary and Foreign Minister and is receiving regular updates . The Prime Minister has ordered that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens. The graphic images of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be ignored.” Then Netanyahu asked the Dutch government and security forces “to take swift and vigorous measures against the rioters and to ensure the safety of our citizens.” The National Security Council (NSC) has asked the Israeli population currently present in Amsterdam to remain in their hotel rooms, and those who are forced to leave for work to avoid displaying Israeli and Jewish symbols and to immediately inform the local police of any unusual incident. Furthermore, the NSC recommends that those who can advance their return flight to Israel do so. New Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar commented on the situation and wrote in X: «We are in contact with the authorities in the Netherlands regarding the serious events that occurred there. Any Israeli or Jew who is currently in distress or has information about the location of a violent event currently occurring, please contact the emergency hotline.” The spokesperson’s unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: «Following the serious and violent incidents against Israelis in Amsterdam, with the direction of the political level and in accordance with an assessment of the situation, the IDF is preparing to immediately deploy a rescue mission with the coordination of the Dutch Government.” The mission will be deployed using cargo aircraft and will include medical and rescue teams. The IDF Homefront Command will lead the rescue mission with the collaboration of various Israeli army directorates, branches and security authorities. The European Jewish Congress has expressed its deep indignation and horror at the violent attacks suffered by Israeli football fans, which occurred on the streets of Amsterdam on Thursday evening by pro-Palestinian supporters. «These anti-Semitic attacks, shocking and in full view on the streets of a European city, should represent a serious wake-up call for Dutch and European authorities, highlighting the dangers of anti-Israel demonstrations left unchecked,” said Congress President Dr. Ariel Muzicant.
The failure of Dutch intelligence and police
So far the news of the night of Arab anti-Semitic hatred in the heart of Europe but what happened also leaves us dismayed by the incredible errors on the part of the Dutch authorities and UEFA. Having a game like yesterday’s played in a city hostile to Jews like Amsterdam where tens of thousands of Arabs live and where dozens of criminal gangs operate under the control of the “Mocro Maffia” (the Moroccan mafia) was truly madness. Furthermore, the responsibilities of the Dutch Intelligence and the police are very heavy, incapable of foreseeing what would then happen. But all this is not accidental. As reported by the Jerusalem Post, Dutch police officers have long refused to protect Jewish targets, two officials said at the Nieuw Israëlisch Weekblad earlier this week. Marcel de Weerd and Michel Theeboom, representatives of the Jewish Police Network, expressed concern about the changes they were seeing in law enforcement. «There are colleagues who no longer want to protect Jewish objectives or events. They talk about ‘moral dilemmas’ and I see a tendency emerging to give in to that. This would truly mark the beginning of the end. I’m worried about that,” Theeboom said.
Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party which won elections in the Netherlands last year and is a staunch ally of Israel, reacted to a video apparently showing a Maccabi fan surrounded by several men: “It looks like a pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam. Arrest and expel the multicultural scum who attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets. I am ashamed that this can happen in the Netherlands. Totally unacceptable. We have become the Gaza of Europe. Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting Jews, I will never accept that. The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect Israeli citizens.” Finally, what Elisa Garfagna, journalist and communications expert, states about what happened last night is disturbing: «9 and 10 November 1938 are sadly known dates for Kristallnacht, an event that marked the beginning of a violent persecution against Jews in Germany. This systematic violence, fueled by Nazi ideology, led to devastating consequences and the Shoah. Looking at current events, November 8, 2024, Amsterdam represents a date of no return from history. In an era in which anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism re-emerge in various theatres, such as football, it is essential to confront the past with alarm and concern. History cannot repeat itself again to the detriment of the Jewish people. Amsterdam, historically a refuge for many persecuted people, today faces a real pogrom. Ghettos are not only those made of stones, but are made of prejudices and intellectual cages that transform into limitless hatred. Do we want to allow it?”.
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