The mayor of Amsterdam spoke on Tuesday of a “toxic cocktail of anti-Semitism and hooliganism”, at the origin of the attacks against Israeli supporters after a football match last week. “Injustices have been committed against Jews in our city as well as people belonging to minorities who sympathize with the Palestinians,” added Femke Halsema.
“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,” said Femke Halsema. “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 Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, supporters of the Israeli club were chased and beaten in the streets of Amsterdam. These attacks, described as anti-Semitic by Israel and the Dutch authorities in particular, left twenty to thirty injured and sparked indignation in many Western capitals.
Groups of Dutch attackers, “from immigration”
Groups of Dutch attackers, “from immigration backgrounds” 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.
Our file on anti-Semitism
After the match, groups of men on scooters attacked Maccabi fans in parts of the city. 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 conflict in the Middle East.
Belgium
