“The violence had already started on Wednesday evening between supporters. It was a night with incidents on both sides. Maccabi supporters removed a flag from a facade of the Rokin and destroyed a taxi. A Palestinian flag was set on fire at the dam,” Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla said on Friday.
Police on Friday reported five people briefly hospitalized and 62 arrests after the night’s clashes.
During the night, “the police had to intervene several times, protect the Israeli supporters and escort them to their hotels. Despite the massive police presence in the city, Israeli supporters were injured,” added the Dutch authorities, announcing the opening of an investigation.
The UN and the EU are outraged
The UN and the EU expressed their outrage on Friday after the attacks in Amsterdam.
“We have seen this very disturbing information. No one should be subjected to discrimination or violence on the basis of their national, religious, ethnic or other origin,” Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Friday. Man.
For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was “outraged” by these “despicable” and “unacceptable” attacks. “Anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in Europe,” reacted the head of the European executive on X.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, condemned the violence which recalls “the most shameful hours in history” and Berlin judged the images of the violence committed in Amsterdam “terrible and deeply shameful for us in Europe”.
In Israel, where the scenes of violence during the night aroused anger and strong emotion, the army announced a ban on all its personnel traveling to the Netherlands “until further notice”.
The head of Israeli diplomacy, Gideon Saar, who must urgently go to Amsterdam, spoke with his Dutch counterpart, Caspar Veldkamp, asking that the Dutch authorities ensure the security of supporters for their transfer to the airport.
“Unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks”
The violence in Amsterdam took place in a context marked by the rise in anti-Semitic acts around the world since the war between Israel and Hamas, with representatives of the EU and the United States deploring in September a “tsunami of anti-Semitism “.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof described the night’s “anti-Semitic attacks” as “unacceptable” in a message posted on X.
In Israel, the authorities reacted very strongly, with Mr. Netanyahu saying he considered “the appalling incident with the greatest seriousness” and “demanded (the Dutch authorities) to act vigorously and quickly against the rioters”.
Founded under another name in 1906, Maccabi Tel Aviv is Israel’s oldest and most successful club. Its supporters are not particularly known for being violent.
Thursday afternoon, around a hundred Israeli supporters gathered on Dam Square, surrounded by a large police force, before going to the Johan Cruyff stadium in Amsterdam.
A pro-Palestinian rally condemning the arrival of the Israeli club was initially planned near the stadium, but was moved a little further into the neighborhood by the town hall for security reasons.
62 arrests and 5 people hospitalized
Police said Friday morning that they had made 62 arrests overnight during clashes after a Europa League match Thursday evening between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv which also left at least five injured.
“So far it is known that five people were taken to hospital and 62 people were arrested,” Amsterdam police said on X.
“The police are reporting possible hostage-taking and disappearances, but have no confirmation at this time. The events are under investigation and several missing people have been found,” added the police.
The France-Israel match will not be relocated
Asked about the France-Israel match, scheduled for Thursday at the Stade de France, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau declared that he would not accept its relocation.
