Clashes broke out on the night of Thursday November 7 to Friday November 8 in Amsterdam following a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv, with Israel denouncing “appalling” violence against its supporters and sending planes to assist them. Deployed massively during the day for this meeting, the Amsterdam police, cited by the Dutch agency ANP, indicated that they had made 57 arrests during several incidents on the sidelines of the football match, without giving details on the facts.
The Israeli authorities reacted very strongly, with the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they considered “the appalling incident with the greatest seriousness” and “demanded (the Dutch authorities) to act vigorously and quickly against the rioters”. “The difficult images of the aggression against our citizens in Amsterdam will not be ignored,” he assured. He announced the “immediate dispatch of two relief planes” to assist Israeli supporters, while the Israeli army indicated for its part that it was preparing “a relief mission” including a cargo plane as well as medical teams.
During a telephone interview with his Dutch counterpart, Dick Schoof, Benjamin Netanyahu “declared that he viewed with seriousness the premeditated anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens and called for increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.” also indicated a press release from his office. Also reacting, Israeli President Isaac Herzog estimated that the images of the clashes were reminiscent of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in Israel. “We see with horror this morning the shocking images and videos that, since October 7, we had hoped never to see again: an ongoing anti-Semitic pogrom against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam,” he wrote on X.
The Dutch Prime Minister for his part denounced “anti-Semitic attacks against Israelis” in Amsterdam on Friday morning, calling them “unacceptable” on his X account. “I am in close contact with all those concerned. Mr. Netanyahu insisted on the fact that the perpetrators of these acts must be sought and prosecuted,” Dick Schoof said.
A major police force deployed
Contacted by AFP, the Dutch Interior Ministry did not comment on this violence, which took place overnight in the center of Amsterdam, following the match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv and won by the Dutch club (5-0). “A large number of vehicles from the mobile unit are present and reinforcements have also been called. Young people are also said to have provoked the police,” described local media AT5. “A large number of vehicles from the mobile unit are present and reinforcements have also been called. Young people are also said to have provoked the police,” this source described. Police protected and escorted Israeli supporters to their hotel, according to footage shared by AT5.
The Amsterdam police said on Thursday that they were “particularly vigilant” on its X account, after reporting several incidents, including a Palestinian flag torn from a facade “by unknown persons”. In the afternoon, around a hundred Israeli supporters gathered on Dam Square, surrounded by a large police force, before going to the Johan Cruyff stadium, in the southwest of the Dutch capital. A pro-Palestinian rally condemning the arrival of the Israeli club was initially planned near the stadium, but was moved a little further into the neighborhood by Amsterdam town hall for security reasons.
These incidents come at a time when Israel is at war on two fronts, against Hamas in Gaza with the aim of destroying the Palestinian Islamist movement after its bloody attack on October 7, 2023 on Israeli territory, and against pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon after more than a year of cross-border firefights with the Lebanese Islamist movement which supports Hamas.
The new Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, who was sworn in overnight in front of Parliament, spoke with his Dutch counterpart, Caspar Veldkamp. According to his services, “he underlined the seriousness with which Israel regards the large-scale violent attacks against its citizens in Amsterdam during the night” and requested that the Dutch authorities ensure the security of the supporters for their transfer to the airport.