An Amsterdam district court on Tuesday sentenced five men to up to six months in prison for violence that erupted around a Europa League soccer match between Dutch club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel in November.
The riots, which sparked international outcry and accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks, left five people hospitalized and 20 others lightly injured. More than 60 people were arrested.
The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to six months in prison, another to two and a half months and two to one month in prison. A fifth defendant received 100 hours of community service.
A series of violent incidents took place between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans around the soccer match.
Some of the violence was condemned as anti-Semitic, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposing to evacuate Maccabi supporters.
The violence, which made headlines around the world, damaged Amsterdam's reputation as a model of tolerance and refuge for persecuted religions, including Jews.
“It appears that the violence arose from strong pro-Palestinian sentiments and dissatisfaction with the situation in Gaza, as well as related anger against the Israelis present,” the prosecution said in a statement after the hearings. , two weeks ago.
The five defendants, all Dutch residents and aged between 19 and 32, were charged with public violence, theft and assault.
The November 8 match was allowed to go ahead after the Dutch counterterrorism watchdog concluded there was no “concrete threat” to Israeli fans and the match was not considered to present a high risk. Despite this, the Amsterdam authorities banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration in front of the Johan Cruyff Arena.
According to an investigation, the day before the match, authorities reported several incidents, including Israeli fans tearing a Palestinian flag from an Amsterdam building and attacking a taxi driver.
Six other suspects will be tried at a later date, including three minors. According to Dutch rules, proceedings for minors take place behind closed doors.
Police continue to investigate the violence and have released images of several suspects they wish to identify.
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Raf Casert reported from Brussels
