“Israeli Football Fans Targeted in Amsterdam After Rising Tensions with Local Activists”
Israeli Football Fans Targeted in Amsterdam: The recent attack on Israeli football fans in Amsterdam underscores how tensions flared in the days leading up to the violent confrontation. The conflict reached a boiling point following a match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Amsterdam’s Ajax, leading to several Israeli supporters being targeted and assaulted by local groups in the early hours of Friday. Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema reported that five fans required hospital treatment, while police detained 63 suspects.
Days of Escalating Clashes
The tensions reportedly started on Wednesday, days before the match, when some of the 3,000 visiting Maccabi supporters clashed with Ajax fans and local taxi drivers in Amsterdam’s city center. Dutch police noted that Maccabi fans allegedly pulled down a Palestinian flag from a nearby building, burned another in Dam Square, and vandalized a taxi. Following these incidents, a group of Muslim taxi drivers gathered outside a casino where many Maccabi fans were gathered, sparking additional confrontations that required police intervention.
Antagonistic Chants and Protests
On game day, Maccabi supporters were captured in videos chanting anti-Arab slogans, including “F**k you, Palestine,” which further inflamed the situation. Dutch pro-Palestinian groups responded by organizing a demonstration outside the stadium, demanding that the game be canceled in light of the ongoing Gaza conflict. However, Amsterdam authorities allowed the match, emphasizing that Ajax and Maccabi fans historically maintain a positive relationship.
To mitigate potential conflicts, the mayor moved the protest to a remote location and deployed riot police to separate groups of Ajax’s hardcore supporters, known as the F-Side, who had threatened to take action if protests disrupted the game. Ajax’s fan base includes supporters of both Jewish and Muslim backgrounds, making the situation particularly sensitive.
Violence Erupts After Midnight
While the game concluded without significant incident, a social media campaign soon circulated in Dutch groups, calling for attacks on Maccabi fans throughout the city. Around midnight, smaller, agile groups of assailants began assaulting Israeli supporters, often fleeing the scene on motor scooters. Videos on social media show attackers hurling fireworks at Israeli fans and shouting statements like “That’s Palestine. That’s Gaza… now you know how it feels.” Amsterdam police quickly gathered around 200 Maccabi fans in Dam Square, escorting them to safety, though scattered assaults continued across the city.
In response, Dutch news outlets released footage of groups of Maccabi fans arming themselves with makeshift weapons, clashing with assailants in the aftermath of the match.
Rising Antisemitism in the Netherlands
Antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands have surged since October 2023, when Israel launched an offensive in Gaza following Hamas attacks on Israel. This rise in hostility has led to increased threats and hate mail against Dutch Jewish institutions. Amsterdam, a city where less than 1% of the population is Jewish and around 15% is Muslim, remains on edge amid these tensions.
In the wake of Friday’s violence, authorities imposed a ban on protests through the weekend and granted police emergency stop-and-search powers. As of now, most of the detained suspects have been released pending charges.
