Far-right MP Geert Wilders, head of the largest party in the government coalition, claimed that the perpetrators of the attacks against Israeli supporters were “all Muslims” and “largely Moroccan”. considering that they should be prosecuted in particular for “terrorism” and that “they should lose their passports and be expelled from the country”.
“Every Muslim here is considered a foreigner, a terrorist, but that is not the case,” says Mr. Errakil, in the Place 40-45 market.
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For him, the perpetrators of this violence “should be severely punished” but he regrets that all the circumstances are not taken into account.
On the night of November 7 to 8, after a Europa League match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, supporters of this Israeli team were chased and violently beaten in the streets of the Dutch capital.
The authorities reported five people briefly hospitalized following these attacks described as anti-Semitic by The Hague and several Western countries. Eight suspects linked to these events are currently in custody.
Isolated incidents broke out before the match, including the vandalization of a taxi, while anti-Arab slogans were chanted by Israeli supporters.
“No hatred towards Jews”
With steaming mint tea in his hands, Abdeslam, who runs a clothing stall in the same market, told AFP he was angry because of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
“First of all: there is absolutely no hatred towards the Jews. The problem only arises with regard to Zionism. The Netherlands still supports what Israel is doing today and that’s it simply unacceptable for us,” said the 42-year-old.
Abdeslam, who did not wish to give his last name, for fear of reprisals from the far right, also expresses his concern about the rise of this movement in the Netherlands.
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“I find it regrettable that we are still talking about integration today. If we were in the 1980s or 1990s, I could understand, but today we are talking about third, fourth, even fifth grade youth generation.”
For Pete, 66, also a clothing seller, these divisive representations are a big hit with the far right. He explains that people in the neighborhood are anxious “and that’s what Wilders wants.”
Amsterdam sous tension
Since the attacks on Maccabi supporters, Amsterdam remains under tension, with the authorities having strengthened security measures. A ban on gatherings was in effect until midday on Thursday.
On Wednesday, during a banned pro-Palestinian demonstration, police made 281 arrests. An investigation was subsequently opened into allegations of police violence which took place in the evening.
Rita Silva, 24, puts on a keffiyeh bought in Abdeslam. This resident of Nieuw West, an art student, has been participating in pro-Palestinian rallies in the Dutch capital for several months and tells AFP that she increasingly fears for her safety.
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“It’s no longer just about being beaten with sticks, it’s about not having freedom of expression,” she says.
The violence occurred in a context of polarization in Europe, with an increase in the number of anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli and Islamophobic acts since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Dutch government is due to present concrete measures to combat anti-Semitism on Friday.
