Israeli soccer fans attacked after game in Amsterdam, 5 hospitalized

Amsterdam — Antisemitic rioters "actively sought retired Israeli supporters to onslaught and battle them" aft a shot lucifer successful Amsterdam, authorities successful nan Netherlands said Friday, pinch constabulary reporting 5 group hospitalized and 62 detained aft a nighttime of unit between. The constabulary did not mention nan nationality of immoderate of those injured aliases arrested aft nan scenes of chaos successful nan Dutch capital. 

Israel's authorities said it was helping coordinate flights location for Israeli fans caught up successful nan violence.

Israel was "doing everything to guarantee nan information and information of our citizens who were brutally attacked successful nan horrific anti-Semitic incident successful Amsterdam," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agency said successful a statement. "It was decided that it was not basal to nonstop a master rescue ngo to nan Netherlands. Instead, nan effort will beryllium focused connected providing civilian aviation solutions for nan betterment of our citizens."

Israel's airports authority said nan first of 2 planes being sent to bring citizens of nan state location had departed from Ben Gurion airdrome adjacent Tel Aviv and was expected to get successful Amsterdam wrong a fewer hours.

Israeli shot supporters and Dutch younker conflict adjacent Amsterdam Central station, successful Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 8, 2024, successful this still image obtained from a societal media video. X/ iAnnet via REUTERS.

Dutch leaders besides condemned nan unit against nan Israeli fans arsenic antisemitic.

The attacks connected fans of shot nine Maccabi Tel Aviv came aft a Europa League shot lucifer betwixt their squad and nan section Amsterdam squad Ajax, but location had been clashes betwixt nan Israeli fans and locals earlier nan game, too. 

The unit erupted contempt a prohibition connected a pro-Palestinian objection adjacent nan shot stadium imposed by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who'd feared clashes would break retired betwixt protesters and supporters of nan Israeli club.

The convulsive clashes reportedly occurred astir midnight section time, pinch galore fights and acts of vandalism successful cardinal Amsterdam. 

There were clashes earlier nan game, too, arsenic Maccabi fans were among hundreds to march done cardinal Amsterdam successful a pro-Israel demonstration, during which flares were lit and Palestinian flags hung connected immoderate streets were reportedly torn down amid chants of "death to nan Arabs." 

Fans of nan Israeli shot squad Maccabi Tel Aviv shape a pro-Israel objection astatine Dam Square successful cardinal Amsterdam, Netherlands, lighting flares and chanting slogans up of nan UEFA Europa League lucifer betwixt Maccabi Tel Aviv and section squad Ajax, Nov. 7, 2024. Mouneb Taim/Anadolu/Getty

In an earlier statement, Netanyahu's agency had said that nan premier curate ordered 2 "rescue planes" to beryllium sent to Amseterdam to evacuate Israeli citizens, but that determination was later reversed. Netanyahu's agency besides barred immoderate members of nan country's subject from flying to nan Netherlands for an indefinite period.

"The harsh pictures of nan battle connected our citizens successful Amsterdam will not beryllium overlooked," Netanyahu's agency said, adding that Israel's authorities "views nan premeditated antisemitic onslaught against Israeli citizens pinch utmost gravity." 

Netanyahu's agency demanded nan Dutch authorities return "vigorous and swift action" against those involved.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said connected societal media that he followed reports of nan unit "with horror."

"Completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks connected Israelis. I americium successful adjacent interaction pinch everyone involved," he added, saying he'd spoken pinch Netanyahu and "emphasized that nan perpetrators will beryllium tracked down and prosecuted. It is now quiet successful nan capital."

In a station connected nan societal media level X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog Israel denounced nan attacks arsenic a "pogrom," referring to nan historical racist attacks connected Jews successful Russia and eastbound Europe, and said they were reminiscent of nan Oct. 7, 2023 onslaught by Hamas connected Israel that sparked Israel's ongoing wars successful Gaza and Lebanon.

The Israeli Embassy successful Washington said connected X that "hundreds" of Maccabi fans were "ambushed and attacked successful Amsterdam coming arsenic they near nan stadium pursuing a game," according to AFP. The embassy blamed nan unit connected a "mob who targeted guiltless Israelis."

Geert Wilders, nan far-right nationalist lawmaker whose Party for Freedom won elections successful nan Netherlands past twelvemonth and who's a staunch state of Israel, reacted to a video apparently showing a Maccabi instrumentality being surrounded by respective men.

"Looks for illustration a Jew hunt successful nan streets of Amsterdam. Arrest and deport nan multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters successful our streets. Ashamed that this tin hap successful The Netherlands. Totally unacceptable," Wilders said.

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