Police launched an investigation after gangs of youths carried out attacks on supporters, following calls on social media to attack Jewish people.
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The Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof canceled his trip to the COP29 climate summit following attacks on supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football teamThursday evening in Amsterdam, which the authorities condemned as anti-Semitic.
The government will address this violence during a cabinet meeting on Monday, says Dick Schoof on X, specifying that he will hold discussions on the fight against anti-Semitism on Tuesday.
Police launched a full-scale investigation after gangs of youths carried out attacks on fans, apparently inspired by calls on social media to target Jewish people.
Five people were treated in hospital and more than 60 suspects were arrested.
Amsterdam prosecutors say four of the suspects, including two minors, are still incarcerated on Saturday and will be brought to court next week.
Prosecutors added that they expected more arrests as investigators continue to analyze video footage of the violence.
None of the arrests made so far related to violence committed after the match, prosecutors said.
“Israel cannot accept the persecution of Jews and Israelis on European soil”
Israeli police participating in the Dutch investigation said in a statement that officers and forensic experts met fans returning from nine flights from Amsterdam.
“Among them were more than 170 witnesses and more than 230 victims, and forensic evidence was collected from dozens of them”specifies the press release, which adds that investigators have collected videos of violent incidents that occurred in the Dutch capital.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar visited the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel’s help in the police investigation.
Dick Schoof says about X “that the Dutch government is doing everything it can to ensure that the Jewish community in our country feels safe”.
In a statement released following his meeting with Dick Shoof, Gideon Saar said attacks on Jews and Israelis “and the fact that their attackers asked them to present passports to prove their identity, recalled dark periods in history”.
He adds that Israel “cannot accept the persecution of Jews and Israelis on European soil”.
Israeli fans chant anti-Arab insults
According to Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, the match was not considered a high-risk encounter by the Dutch counter-terrorism servicewho had not reported any “concrete threat” for Israeli fans.
Despite this, Amsterdam authorities banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration near the Johan Cruyff Arena, where Thursday evening’s match was taking place.
A video also showed a crowd of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab insults on their way to the match.
After the match, young people on scooters and on foot set out in search of Israeli supporters, punching and kicking them before quickly fleeing to escape the hundreds of police officers deployed in the citysays Femke Halsema.
Dick Schoof returned earlier than expected from a summit of the European Union in Hungary and met Friday evening with representatives of the Jewish community in the Netherlands.
“It was a fascinating conversation about the sadness and uncertainty that reigns in the Jewish community. Every day they suffer the consequences of the rise of anti-Semitism in the Netherlands”says Dick Schoof on X.
A ban on protests was put in place across Amsterdam over the weekend and security was increased at Jewish sites in the city.
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