By
Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam in antisemitic incidents...
https://ift.tt/Ke4TYbN
CNN —
Israeli soccer fans were beaten and injured in violent clashes in Amsterdam overnight, which the Dutch government condemned Friday as antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.
Dutch police said they had launched a major investigation into multiple violent incidents following the Europa League soccer game Thursday night between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch side Ajax. Police said that so far, “five people have been taken to the hospital and 62 individuals have been arrested.”
Hundreds of Maccabi fans “were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam,” the Israeli embassy to the United States said on social media platform X. At least 10 Israeli citizens were injured, according to Israel’s foreign ministry.
Social media video shared by the Israeli embassy showed what it said was violence against Maccabi fans. One video shows a man being kicked while he lies on the ground, while another video shows a man being hit by a man yelling “free Palestine” and “for the children, motherf***er.” CNN has not yet been able to verify those videos.
Tensions had been rising in the lead up to Thursday night’s match with multiple social media videos showing Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slurs, praising Israeli military attacks in Gaza and yelling “f**k the Arabs.” Other videos apparently filmed in Amsterdam show men ripping Palestinian flags off buildings. It is unclear when those videos were filmed.
Amsterdam police said they boosted their presence in the city center on Wednesday night, citing “tensions” in several areas, one day ahead of the game.
Officers “prevented a confrontation between a group of taxi drivers and a group of visitors who came from the adjacent casino” on Wednesday night, the police said in a statement on X, noting another incident in which a Palestinian flag was torn down in Amsterdam’s center by unknown perpetrators.
On Thursday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to reach the Johan Cruyff stadium, even though the city had forbidden them to protest there, Reuters reported.
Police said fans had left the stadium without incident after Ajax won the game 5-0, but during the night various clashes in the city center were reported.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X he was in touch with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.”
“This is completely unacceptable. I am in close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken to (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu by phone to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted,” he said, adding “the situation in Amsterdam is now calm once more.”
Netanyahu emphasized in a call with Schoof “the supreme importance” of the Dutch government ensuring the safety of all Israelis in the Netherlands, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.
“Netanyahu stated that he views the planned anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens as serious,” the Prime Minister’s Office said, adding that he asked for increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that it “condemns anti-Arab chants by Israelis and attacks on the symbolism of the Palestinian flag in Amsterdam.” It also called on the Dutch government to “protect Palestinians and Arabs in the Netherlands.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar advised Israelis in Amsterdam to stay in their hotels.
He is traveling to the Netherlands in the wake of the attacks, which he condemned as “barbaric and antisemitic” and called them “a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world.”
Sa’ar also asked his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp to help getting Israelis from their hotels to the airport, according to Israel’s foreign ministry.
In a statement from his office, Netanyahu urged Dutch authorities to “act firmly and quickly against the rioters and ensure the peace of our citizens.” He initially said he was ordering “rescue planes” to assist Israeli citizens, but the Israeli Prime Minister’s office later said it would focus on commercial flight solutions to safely return citizens.
European football has long grappled with hooliganism and violent clashes.
Following the incident, some people in France have called for next week’s match between the French and Israeli national soccer teams to be relocated.
However, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Friday: “France is not backing down, as this would be tantamount to abdicating in the face of threats of violence and antisemitism.” Security arrangements are being put in place for the match at the Stade de France near Paris, he added.
Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body UEFA announced Monday that a Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Turkish football team Beşiktaş in late November will be moved to a neutral venue, following a decision by Turkish authorities.
This story has been updated with additional details.
news
via Drudge Report Feed https://ift.tt/Tou6bNP
November 8, 2024 at 07:03AM
November 8, 2024 at 07:36AM
via https://ift.tt/Ke4TYbN