Returning to their hotel after a football match, Israeli fans faced a violent attack from pro-Palestinian groups. In the absence of police, supporters took refuge to escape the attacks.
The streets of Amsterdam were the scene of intense violence overnight from Thursday to Friday, as Israeli supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv were targeted after their match against Ajax.
“By the time we got back to the hotel, there were several pro-Palestinian groups who started shouting ‘Liberate Palestine!‘”, testifies one of the Israeli supporters still in shock.
What was supposed to be a night of celebration quickly turned into a night of terror for this group of fans. Surprised by the presence of hostile demonstrators on their return from the stadium, they found themselves surrounded by activists, visibly well organized and ready to fight.
Absence of police force
“Supporters of our team, friends, were hit. So we ran away to safety at the hotel“, he continues.
The witness recounts his dismay at a total absence of law enforcement in the streets, while tension was rising: “There were no police on the streets. No one to help us“, he declares.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian groups “seemed perfectly organized and had been waiting for us since the end of the match”, he says.
Emergency repatriation to protect supporters
In response to this wave of violence, the Israeli government decided to take charge of the repatriation of its nationals. Since this morning, airliners have been mobilized to ensure the return of supporters, some having already left Amsterdam, while others are expected to leave in the coming hours.
In total, nearly 3,000 supporters are waiting to be repatriated after experiencing attacks in different places in Europe.
In the countries where they await transfer, members of local Jewish communities have taken steps to ensure their safety. In the Netherlands, in particular, more than 200 Israeli supporters gathered in a secure area, protected by local forces and monitored by helicopters to avoid any further overflow.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also taken the decision to send several reinforcement planes to accelerate the repatriation of victims, an emergency measure in the face of these repeated attacks.
Germany Israel violence
