On Thursday, in Amsterdam, violent clashes erupted following an Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, leading to brutal assaults on Israeli fans. Many Israeli supporters were attacked by groups shouting pro-Palestinian slogans, resulting in dozens of arrests and at least ten Israeli fans injured. The Israeli government condemned the attacks as “anti-Semitic,” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arranging special flights to bring citizens back safely to Israel.
The attacks followed days of mounting tension. Earlier in the week, a planned pro-Palestinian protest, scheduled to coincide with the Israeli fans’ arrival, was relocated by authorities to a less central area. Reports from Dutch media suggest that prior to the match, Israeli fans had chanted offensive slogans against Palestinians and allegedly removed a Palestinian flag from a balcony, which they later burned. This escalation further strained the atmosphere, setting the stage for confrontations post-match.
Police reports indicate that, after the game, coordinated groups targeted Israeli fans across Amsterdam, tracking and assaulting them in smaller groups. Videos circulating on social media, though yet unverified by major media outlets, show assailants shouting in Arabic and wielding sticks and knives while attacking Israeli fans—even when they were already on the ground. The Israeli TV station Channel 13 aired testimonials from fans who described being hunted down and beaten. By early Friday, Israeli authorities expressed concern for fans unaccounted for, though Dutch police clarified they had no reports of missing persons among the fans.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema held a press conference Friday morning, describing the violence as a “black night and dark day” for the city. She drew historical parallels to past anti-Semitic pogroms and condemned the attacks, regardless of any provocations attributed to the Israeli fans. According to Halsema, the assailants arrived on scooters, attacking before quickly fleeing the scenes. Although Dutch police confirmed the arrest of 57 individuals, they refrained from characterizing the events as anti-Semitic, noting that arrests stemmed from both the pro-Palestine protest clashes and the fan attacks.
