Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog on Friday condemned the violence after the soccer match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Dutch capital and said that the “shocking images” from these incidents were reminiscent of the attack by militants of the Palestinian radical movement Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. directed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. TASR reports according to reports from Reuters and AFP.
“We are horrified this morning to watch shocking images and videos that we thought we would never see again after October 7, 2023: an anti-Semitic pogrom is currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens right in the heart of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.” Herzog wrote in a statement on Platform X.
In Amsterdam, Israeli fans were attacked after the match
According to estimates, approximately 3,000 Israelis traveled to Amsterdam for the Europa League match. The Israeli newspaper Haarec claims that masked attackers attacked them in various places in Amsterdam on Thursday evening after the Israeli club’s big loss (0:5), allegedly in coordinated attacks.
The Times of Israel (TOI) newspaper reported that at least ten Israeli citizens were injured during the riots and three are missing. According to the Amsterdam police, five injured people are in hospital, and an unspecified number of missing people have been found.
The Amsterdam police also reported that they are also investigating reports of a possible abduction of hostages in the Dutch capital.
According to the police, up to 62 people were detained. The DPA agency reported that ten Israeli fans were detained for disturbing public order and illegally possessing fireworks. According to one of the fans, the attackers shouted anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian slogans in Arabic.
In a post, according to DPA, Herzog expressed his belief that the Dutch authorities will act immediately to protect all Jews involved and end the violence against them. “This is a serious incident, a warning signal for every country that upholds the values of freedom,” added the Israeli president.
