Jerusalem, Israel — An antisemitic mob brutally attacked Israeli soccer fans who traveled to watch the Europa League game between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam Thursday evening.
The antisemitic rioters “actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them,” the Amsterdam municipal authority, police and prosecution office said in a statement. Twenty Israelis were injured, five of whom were hospitalized, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Sixty-two rioters were arrested, police said.
Videos on social media show mobs beating Israeli soccer fans; hundreds of Israelis have been told to shelter in hotel rooms and await support from authorities.
“In several places in the city, supporters were attacked. The police had to intervene several times, protect Israeli supporters and escort them to hotels. Despite the massive police presence in the city, Israeli supporters have been injured,” the Amsterdam statement said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof to increase security for Israelis in Amsterdam.
The Israeli Defense Forces initially announced a rescue mission but have since called it off. Instead, the Israeli airline Al Al is sending planes to Amsterdam on Shabbat to rescue Israeli citizens.
Israeli soccer fan Yaakov Masri told Channel 13 News that he and his son were attacked by 15 Arab men, armed with knives and clubs, as they left the stadium. “They started hitting us, they broke my face, knocked out a tooth, cut my lip,” he said. “My son got punched twice in the face.” Masri is now sheltered in his hotel room and has blocked the door with tables.
A pro-Palestinian protest was originally planned upon the arrival of Maccabi Tel Aviv players. The mayor tried to stop the protest and riot police were at the stadium to supposedly quell unrest.
Dutch authorities reportedly see protecting Jewish targets and events as a “moral dilemma,” two officers representing the Jewish Police Network told the Jerusalem Post last month. All over Europe, pro-Palestinian protesters have made their desire to globalize Hamas’s aims known as — in Italy and the United Kingdom, for example, violent clashes between authorities and rioters erupted during protests anti-Israel mobs organized to celebrate the anniversary of October 7.
Mobs reportedly screamed “Free Palestine” while kicking Israeli soccer fans in the streets. There are also videos of mobs attempting to break into hotels and chase Israelis.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog said the attack in Amsterdam was the worst thing to happen to Israelis since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023.
“We woke up this morning to shocking images and videos that since October 7th, we had hoped never to see again: an antisemitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands,” Herzog wrote on X.