Israeli fans attacked in Amsterdam: “It was a toxic cocktail of anti-Semitism and hooliganism”

The mayor of Amsterdam spoke on Tuesday of a “toxic cocktail of anti-Semitism and hooliganism” behind the attacks on Israeli supporters after a football match last week.

Femke Halsema also added that “justices have been committed against Jews in our city as well as people belonging to minorities who sympathize with the Palestinians.”

Ms Halsema spoke as part of an emergency meeting of the Amsterdam city council, after the Dutch capital was rocked by attacks on Israeli football fans by men described by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof as being “from immigration”.

“Jewish Israeli fans were guests in our city and they were hounded, chased and attacked with anti-Semitic calls on social media and in the streets,” Ms. Halsema said.

“But Amsterdammers were also attacked by Maccabi hooligans who chanted racist and hateful slogans in our city,” she added.

On the night of November 7 to 8 after a Europa League match between Ajax Amesterdam and the Israeli team Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Maccabi supporters were chased and beaten in the streets of Amsterdam.

These attacks, described as anti-Semitic in particular by Israel and the Dutch authorities, left 20 to 30 injured and sparked indignation in many Western capitals. Groups of Dutch attackers, “from immigration” according to Prime Minister Dick Schoof, carried out these attacks, responding to a call to attack Jews launched in advance on social networks.

Isolated incidents broke out before the match, including anti-Arab chants chanted by Maccabi supporters.

This violence occurred in a context of polarization in Europe, with a rise in anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli and Islamophobic acts since the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza.

If in the past, European anti-Semitism found its roots in the far right, it is also currently partly fueled by certain left-wing and Islamist circles.

After the match, groups of men on scooters attacked Maccabi fans in parts of the city. Police said the attackers were mobilized by calls on social media to attack Jews.

Dick Schoof on Monday promised “severe measures” against those guilty of attacks on supporters.