Ten Israelis among dozens arrested over Amsterdam riots

Ten Israelis were among the 62 people arrested over the violence in Amsterdam last week, which was sparked by provocative acts by notoriously racist Israeli football hooligans, Dutch media reported on Tuesday.

The other 49 individuals were residents of the Netherlands, while the nationality of three suspects was not confirmed, according to a report published by the city’s mayor, police chief and top prosecutor and cited in Dutch media.

The report, which gave an account of the events that unfolded last week, said that all but four of the 62 arrested had been released.

It said that of the four who remained in custody, three were accused of attacking police and one was charged with “public violence”. 

The report, which heavily emphasised an alleged “antisemitic” prejudice while minimising violence and racism against Arabs and other communities living in Amsterdam, said that the police was still on the hunt for any further suspects involved in the violence which happened before and after a Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ajax game.

Police officials said Israelis who had flown back home would be allowed to submit reports over alleged assaults faced.

The report said that “antisemitism cannot be answered with other racism”, adding that the safety of one group cannot come at the expense of another.

However, it failed to highlight what measures were taken to protect other communities, while detailing ongoing engagement with Jewish organisations and local security for the protection of Jewish institutions. 

The report said however that officials had expressed concerns “due to the aggression of Maccabi supporters,” who had beat up a taxi driver of Moroccan origin and vandalised his vehicle in the city the night before the riots.

This act sparked online calls for taxi drivers to gather at a casino where hundreds of Israeli tourists were present for a planned revenge attack, though police largely managed to prevent the clash.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Amsterdam City Council, Mayor Femke Halsema said the violence was a result of a “poisonous cocktail” of alleged “antisemitism” and hooliganism on “both sides”.

“Injustice has been done to both Jews in our city as well as people of minorities who sympathise with the Palestinians,” Halsema said.

Halsema said Jewish institutions in the city including synagogues were not targeted and the attacks were “purely aimed at Israeli Maccabi supporters”.

Her comments stood in contrast to those of Israeli officials and the far-right government of the Netherlands, which along with several Western leaders, portrayed the violence as ‘antisemitic pogroms’.

Maccabi Tel Aviv faced top Dutch side Ajax last Thursday, where they were thrashed 5-0 in the latest round of the UEFA Europa League.

Ahead of the match, videos online showed Israeli football hooligans tearing down Palestinian flags hung from residents’ homes in Amsterdam. In one clip, a hooded Israeli fan can be heard saying “F**k you Palestine” after he ripped down the flag.

Other video clips showed Maccabi Tel Aviv fans yelling several racist chants and slurs, including “F**k Arabs” and “Death to Arabs”, as well “we will win, let the IDF win”.

Additionally, taxi drivers of Moroccan and Arab descent were also assaulted by Maccabi fans, while others were seen taunting minority residents of the capital.

The rampage sparked riots in Amsterdam, where members of the city’s Moroccan community confronted the football hooligans.

Football competitions attended by fans of Israeli clubs and the national team have sparked tension over the year, amid Israel’s continued military onslaught in the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 43, 712 Palestinians since October 7 last year.

Israel’s atrocities in the Palestinian territory, as well as Lebanon, has provoked worldwide anger and protests calling for a halt to the war.

Additionally, Israeli football fans have a track record of chanting anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and Islamophobic chants over the years during football matches, often aimed at Arab and Palestinian players.