Maccabi Tel Aviv hooligans clash with locals in Amsterdam after Ajax match
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, 2024. (AA Photo)
Violence erupted in Amsterdam late Thursday night as hundreds of Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv hooligans clashed with Arab locals, after tearing down a Palestine flag following their Europa League match against Ajax.
The disturbances resulted in five people being hospitalized and 62 arrests, according to local police. In response, Israel deployed rescue planes to evacuate its citizens from the area.
The violence flared after the game between home team Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv that Ajax won 5-0.
On Friday, the Israeli military announced a ban on all Israeli army personnel traveling to the Netherlands until further notice.
Israeli foreign minister heads to Amsterdam
Israel’s top diplomat will travel to Amsterdam on Friday for an “urgent” visit, his office said, after clashes following a Europa League football match left several Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans injured.
In response to the violent clashes in Amsterdam, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will embark on an urgent diplomatic visit to the Netherlands, his ministry confirmed in a statement. Meanwhile, Germany condemned the violence, describing it as “terrible” and “deeply shameful.”
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”.
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said she was “outraged” by “vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam”.
“I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts,” von der Leyen wrote on X.
“Anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight all forms of hatred,” she added.
The United Nations meanwhile called the violence “very troubling”.
The mayor of Amsterdam on Friday announced tighter security measures in the city after a night of violence. “I am ashamed” at what happened in the city, admitted Femke Halsema, as she described hit-and-run attacks on the Israeli fans, announcing a temporary ban on protests.
Eyewitnesses and local residents accuse Maccabi hooligans
According to Israeli authorities, 10 of its nationals were injured in the violent confrontations that took place as Maccabi supporters left the stadium. However, social media accounts from Dutch locals paint a different picture, accusing the Israeli fans of provoking the violence.
Videos circulating on social media, some shared by the Israeli embassy to the United States on platform X, show chaotic scenes purportedly involving attacks on Maccabi supporters. Eyewitnesses and local residents accuse the Maccabi hooligans of instigating the violence, alleging they had earlier torn down a Palestinian flag in Amsterdam’s center and hurled racist chants during the game.
Maccabi Tel Aviv hooligans attack Palestinian flag
Amsterdam police, anticipating trouble, had ramped up security in the city prior to the match. On Wednesday night, officers reported intervening to prevent clashes between groups, including an incident involving a torn Palestinian flag. Dutch authorities noted that tensions were already high, with a protest planned ahead of the match.
In the aftermath, Saar urged citizens to stay indoors, saying, “The impression from the reports [is] that the situation is calming down in the last hour.” Saar also reached out to his Dutch counterpart, Kasper Veldkamp, requesting assistance in safely transporting Israelis to the airport.
Israeli military international spokesperson Nadav Shoshani also said that Israel’s military is deploying a “rescue mission.”
Many voices on social media accused the Maccabi fans of disrespecting a minute of silence for victims of recent floods in Valencia, alleging they sang racist songs calling for the extermination of Arabs while setting off illegal fireworks.
One chant reportedly included lines about Gaza, with lyrics stating, “there are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left.”
A local eyewitness claimed the violence began after the Israeli supporters vandalized a taxi and assaulted the driver, leading to swift retaliation from young Dutch Muslims. “The Zionists of Maccabi were terrorizing our streets, attacking Muslim homes and taxi drivers,” a Dutch resident posted online. “One day later, young Muslim people took revenge against these hooligans, and now they’re playing the victim.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence, labeling it “serious” and announcing the immediate dispatch of two planes to bring Israeli citizens home. He urged Dutch authorities to “act firmly and quickly against the rioters,” although many on the ground suggest the initial provocations came from the Israeli side.
Amsterdam police confirmed about 30 arrests in connection with the violence but did not specify the identities of those detained. The clashes have underscored the deepening tensions in the city, reflecting broader geopolitical conflicts playing out on European soil.
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