Israeli President Isaac Herzog referred to the episode as an ‘anti-Semitic pogrom’, while Emmanuel Macron called the incidents a reminder of the ‘most unworthy moments in history’
Israeli fans of the club Maccabi Tel Aviv faced violent attacks after the Europa League match against , which ended in a 5-0 victory for the Dutch team. The clashes took place on Thursday night (7), in the city center , when gangs on motorcycles attacked Israeli fans, leaving five of them hospitalized. The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, classified the episode as an “explosion of anti-Semitism” and said she felt “shame” about the violence in her city. To contain the situation, Halsema announced stricter security measures, such as an increase in police personnel and a temporary ban on demonstrations.
The incident resulted in the arrest of 62 people, but Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla highlighted that the attackers’ hit-and-run tactics made it difficult to prevent clashes, even with the mobilization of 800 officers. The violence reportedly began on Wednesday, with acts such as the destruction of a taxi by Maccabi fans and the burning of a Palestinian flag in Dam Square, located in the center of Amsterdam.
Israel’s leaders reacted firmly to the attacks. Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that the images of the clashes were reminiscent of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, referring to the episode in Amsterdam as an “anti-Semitic pogrom”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned what happened, describing it as a “premeditated anti-Semitic attack”. In response, the Israeli army issued a travel ban on its personnel to the Netherlands, and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced an “urgent diplomatic visit” to Amsterdam to seek security guarantees for Israeli citizens.
On the Dutch side, Prime Minister Dick Schoof denounced the anti-Semitic attacks as “unacceptable” and declared that he was “deeply ashamed” by the episode, guaranteeing that the Dutch government would work to ensure that those responsible were punished. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the violence, stating that “anti-Semitism has no place in Europe”. French President Emmanuel Macron called the incidents a reminder of “the most unworthy moments in history”, and the UN expressed concern about the escalation of violence.
On social media, unverified videos suggest that some Maccabi fans had shouted anti-Arab slogans, increasing tension. Following the incident, around 100 Israeli fans gathered in Amsterdam’s Dam Square under heavy police surveillance, before heading to the Johan Cruyff stadium, where a pro-Palestinian demonstration, scheduled to take place nearby, was moved to an area further away for security reasons. These episodes of violence occur in a context of ongoing conflict involving Israel, which faces Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. A plane carrying Israeli fans from Amsterdam landed this Friday (8) at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, the
*With information from AFP
Published by Felipe Dantas
*Report produced with the help of AI
