NYT ‘ignored Israeli fan violence’ in Amsterdam attacks

The New York Times (NYT) has been accused of axing an investigation into Israeli mob violence in Amsterdam earlier this month, according to internal emails seen by the pro-Palestine news site The Electronic Intifada on Tuesday.

NYT reporter Christiaan Triebert, who is part of the Visual Investigations team, allegedly informed senior manager Charlie Stadtlander about his proposed investigation into the events in Amsterdam from 6 to 8 November, the report said.

Triebert then expressed concerns about the accuracy of the NYT’s initial coverage, according to the report, which depicted Israeli football hooligans as victims of anti-semitic violence, contrary to available video evidence.

It came after Maccabi Tel Aviv fans clashed with Amsterdam locals, with the war on Gaza said to be a key reason for the initial violence that saw locals attacked, Palestinian flags torn down, and anti-Arab racist songs chanted by the travelling Israeli supporters.

“Unfortunately, that story was killed,” Triebert allegedly wrote in the email. “I regret that the planned moment-by-moment visual investigation was not further pursued. This has been very frustrating, to say the least.”

The report indicated that Triebert’s correspondence was triggered by The Electronic Intifada’s inquiries into the NYT’s reporting of the unrest. 

The New York Times and other mainstream outlets, including Sky News, faced criticism for framing the violence as racially motivated anti-semitic while overlooking the actions of Israeli football fans who were blamed for the initial violence and tensions.

Initially, the US daily used a video – captured by Dutch photojournalist Annet de Graaf – that it claimed showed “anti-Semitic attacks” on Israelis.

However, the footage was later revealed by de Graaf to depict Israeli hooligans attacking a Dutch citizen.  

Following public condemnation by the journalist online, the NYT issued a correction and removed the video rather than alter the caption, though de Graaf denied requesting its removal.   

A New York Times spokesperson told The New Arab that the outlet defended its cover coverage, describing it as “robust, evolving as our reporting uncovered new facts”.

The American publication added that it did not abandon its investigation into the Amsterdam situation but instead “merged that work with on-the-ground reporting to publish a thorough reconstruction of events”, referencing its article outlining the timeline of events on 10 November.

The New York Times confirmed that its earlier reporting had included both the video and a citation from the news agency Reuters– which were later removed due to inaccuracies in the video’s details.

“We subsequently reported on the video shot by photographer Annet de Graaf,” the NYT spokesperson said, further noting that the Dutch journalist’s post on social media platform X – which criticised the depiction of her video – called on the publication and other news outlets to stop using her footage.

The New York Times said it had since removed the video but had “continued to report on the violence in Amsterdam, how the attacks unfolded, and the video shot by the photographer Annet de Graaf”.

The November unrest was sparked by Israeli fans engaging in racist anti-Palestinian chants and other provocative acts in Amsterdam – a city with a large Arab population – after their team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, suffered a 5-0 defeat to Ajax. 

Their behaviour provoked counterattacks from members of Amsterdam’s Moroccan community and pro-Palestine demonstrators.  

Upon returning to Israel, the fans were recorded chanting similar anti-Arab slogans at Ben-Gurion Airport.   

These events have intensified criticism of the NYT’s perceived pro-Israel bias, a long-standing contention among activists and critics.  

In May, activists expressed outrage over the publication’s Pulitzer Prize in international reporting, which honoured its coverage of Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October and the Israeli military’s subsequent response.   

Pro-Palestinian protesters have long accused the Times of sanitising Israeli actions in Gaza, staging demonstrations outside its Manhattan headquarters and distributing mock editions of the paper titled ‘The New York War Crimes’.  

These mock editions accused the outlet of complicity in “laundering genocide” and demanded an editorial endorsement of a ceasefire.   

The controversy echoes other criticisms of the NYT, such as its December 2023 investigative report, ‘Screams Without Words’: How Hamas Weaponised Sexual Violence on Oct. 7.’

The piece faced backlash for alleged inaccuracies and the lack of expertise among some of its authors.   

Amid these controversies, Anne Boyer, The Times’ poetry editor, publicly resigned, citing the paper’s handling of its Gaza war coverage as the reason.