The recent assault on Israeli fans in the Netherlands encapsulates many themes we have been discussing for a while. Football, once touted as a symbol of inclusion, now serves as a vehicle for social conflicts. Antisemitism is increasingly recognized as a European issue, not just a Middle Eastern one. Pro-Gaza protests have become fertile ground for violent factions from various backgrounds. Israel, often criticized for its extremes—sometimes distorted by the reasons behind them—is seeing its global reputation shift, with the victim-perpetrator narrative frequently reversed.
Amsterdam’s mayor called the attack on Maccabi fans after the game with Ajax an act of antisemitism; for Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right, it was even akin to a “pogrom.” Yet, some extreme Israeli fans had shouted “F*** Palestine.” This interplay of causes and effects reveals the persistent difficulty in clearly understanding these events, often clouded by a long history of violence.
Perhaps Hamas anticipated all of this—a strategy of sacrificing the victims of October 7 and Palestinian civilians alike to draw Israel into a vast moral trap, one that could erode its post-Holocaust standing in the world. Perhaps. For now, the consequences are grim. There is a risk of confusing tragedies and intensifying hatred, not only on the ground but within the social fabric of our democracies as well.
