Amsterdam rioters planned Jew hunt on Telegram before they attacked Israeli football fans
Amsterdam rioters reportedly planned a Jew hunt on Telegram before they launched a violent attack on Isreali football fans.
Amsterdam rioters reportedly planned a Jew hunt on Telegram before they launched a violent attack on Isreali football fans.
The alleged hunt, pompting rioters to travel from Amsterdam to attack Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Jewish people was anounced on the messgaing app well in advance, De Telegraaf reported Friday.
The horrific pre-planned attacks agaisnt the Israeli sports fans on Thursday evening leftat least five people injured, who mayor Femke Halsema said had been attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks.
Videos on social media show young men being punched in the head, kicked in the stomach and knocked unconscious.
Sixty-three people have already been arrested in connection with the violence that broke out after a Europa League football tie with Amsterdam club Ajax, Dutch police said.
Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv stage a pro-Israel demonstration at the Dam Square
Police officers make a security cordon around a bus after the soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, early November 08
A masked mob, some carrying Palestinian flags, are seen running riot through the streets of Amsterdam on Thursday
Relieved to be home: A fan of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel-Aviv is met by a family member at Ben Gurion International Airport
Following Thursday nights assaults, individuals in the Telegram groups spoke of a follow-up attack, reported The Jerusalem Post.
The attacks have been denounced by political leaders with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof saying on Friday he was horrified by the anti-Semitic attacks on Israeli citizens.
He also assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander also shared his deep horror and shock after antisemitic hit-and-run squads targeted the Israeli football fans.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema did not hold back her disappointment as she labelled the violence as an explosion of anti-Semitism.
She said on Friday: Boys on scooters were driving through the town looking for Maccabi supporters, it was hit and run.
Football fans were attacked and then rioters fled, running away from the police forces.
She said the events were reminiscent of pogroms - or even Kristallnacht, a night of relentless Nazi violence against the Jews of Germany, which took place exactly 86 years ago today.
People welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans as they arrive at Israels Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam
Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv stage a pro-Israel demonstration at the Dam Square, lighting up flares and chanting slogans ahead of the UEFA Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands on November 07
Pro-Palestinian supporters march with Palestinian flags near the Ajax stadium in Amsterdam
Hours before the match, fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv staged a pro-Israel demonstration at the Dam Square in the city
Halsema said the city had been deeply damaged, the Jewish culture has been threatened.
Several taxi divers were reported to have been involved in the attack on the Israeli fans as they arrived in central Amsterdam to target the groups, as per De Telegraaf.
One Israeli reportedly ended up in one of Amsterdams canals, while others hid at the Holland Casino.
An investigation by Holland Casino allegedly revealed that a hired security guard was active in one of the Telegram groups where information was exchanged between perpetrators.
The Dutch newspaper reported that, according to the casino, the security guard will not be hired back.
Some 800 officers were deployed to tackle the violence, but police today admitted that things got out of control.
People who were out in the city at the time were forced to seek shelter in shops, according to reports, while hundreds of Israelis shut themselves in their hotels as they waited for the violence to subside.
One victim suffered a broken leg after being set upon by gang members, according to Dutch media, with authorities saying the rioters were actively looking for Israeli fans.
This outbreak of violence against Israeli fans has crossed all boundaries and cannot be justified, police said in a news conference.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof denounced the completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis.
I followed with horror the coverage from Amsterdam, Schoof wrote on X, adding that he had spoken with Netanyahu to assure him that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted.
Netanyahus office said he told Schoof that he views the premeditated anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens with utmost seriousness and [has] requested increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans carry flags as they wait for the arrival of their friends and family members from Amsterdam, at the Ben Gurion International Airport
Britains Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said on X: Utterly devastating scenes from The Netherlands. Hateful mobs have chased down Jewish & Israeli football fans on the streets of Amsterdam after a match, violently beating them and proudly posting the footage on social media.
Many are injured and three people are currently missing. This should be a watershed moment for Europe and for the world, when it realises how severe the scourge of anti-Jewish hatred has become.
Sadly, I fear it will not be and that tragically, this will not be the last such attack, God forbid.
Amsterdam police said on social media yesterday that tensions before the match had been high and they were being particularly vigilant in the wake of several incidents, including the tearing down of a Palestinian flag from a building by Maccabi fans.
Footage also emerged of provocative chants including, Let the IDF win, we will f--- the Arabs, and, F--- you, Palestine.
In another potential football flashpoint, France are scheduled to play Israel in Paris next Thursday.
Frances interior minister said the match would go ahead as planned.
