Femke Halsema, Mayor of Amsterdam, has clarified her statements regarding recent clashes between Israeli fans and Dutch people of Moroccan origin, which she initially described as ” massacre« .
In an interview with Dutch public radio NOS, she clarified that it was a “ simple propaganda used by the Israeli government and some Dutch politicians to discriminate against Moroccan Muslims in the country« .
Halsema justified her choice of the controversial term by explaining: “ I used it after the incident, not to draw a comparison with a real massacre, but to express my concern towards the Jewish community in the Netherlands“. She also expressed her refusal to see her words misused for political purposes.
In the wake of this incident, Halsema strongly criticized the reaction of some Dutch politicians. “ They exploit the term ‘massacre’ to stigmatize Moroccans and, more broadly, the Muslim community“, she denounced. Deploring the resurgence of the debate on integration, she said she was “disappointed” to see that this subject remains exploited.
However, the mayor had defended her choice of words in the Dutch parliament the previous week, a point reiterated by NOS, fueling a growing controversy.
Dutch media report that police have arrested 45 people involved in the violence. Among them, nine are of Dutch nationality, while the others are believed to be Israeli, although no precise figures have been communicated. Police also announced that they are currently identifying new suspects and that additional charges may follow.
These clashes, which occurred after a match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, placed Amsterdam under tension. To restore order, the municipality implemented a “ emergency law“. This Monday, the NOS network confirmed that the city had regained a certain calm, marking the end of the “ danger zone« .
At the same time, the affair had major political repercussions. Nora Achahbar, Secretary of State for Finance of the Netherlands and of Moroccan origin, announced her resignation from the government. She denounced “ racist remarks » that a fellow minister allegedly said during a recent meeting.
These events were also the pretext for the Dutch far right to relaunch their anti-immigration demands. Led by Geert Wilders, this fringe called for “ withdraw nationality from Moroccans in the Netherlands“, comments deemed openly racist by many observers.
