Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam
In an image taken from video, police are seen escorting Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team supporters to the metro station, leading them to the Ajax stadium, after pro-Palestinian supporters marched near the stadium, in Amsterdam, Thursday. InterVision/AP hide caption
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InterVision/AP
LONDON — Leading political figures in the Netherlands have condemned a night of violence in Amsterdam, after Israeli soccer fans visiting the city were attacked in the streets.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on social media he had followed updates over the "antisemitic attacks" on Israeli supporters of the Tel Aviv Maccabi soccer team "with horror," and said the violence had been "completely unacceptable," while Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said on social media he plans to travel to the Netherlands urgently for an "unplanned visit."
Saar called the attack "a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world," that allowed "unbridled hatred to roam the streets with impunity." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially described it as a "very violent incident."
The Dutch police said 62 people have been arrested following several clashes between the Israeli fans and Amsterdam residents in the city center late into the evening.
In a news conference Friday, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned what she called "hit-and-run" attacks on the visiting fans, who had traveled to watch their team take on the Dutch giants Ajax in an annual soccer tournament that involves teams from across Europe.
Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema (center), acting Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla (left) and head of the Amsterdam public prosecutor's office René De Beukelaer hold a news conference after Israeli fans and protesters clashed overnight after a soccer match, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Friday. Mike Corder/AP hide caption
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Mike Corder/AP
She said local men on scooters had sought out Israeli fans for several hours, in what she described as a threat to Jewish life and culture in Amsterdam.
She said she had sought to involve Dutch counterterrorism officials in the lead-up to the soccer match, but had been told there were no "concrete threats" involving either players or fans.
One Israeli fan, 24-year-old Adi Reuben, told the BBC that around 10 assailants had kicked and hit him, breaking his nose while shouting "Jewish, IDF" — in reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
Another fan, Joni Pogrebetsy, told the Reuters news agency that he had encountered the violence on the way back to his central hotel, after being warned about it by a local restaurant owner. He said police officers arrived "really late," and by that point, "a lot of people were already hurt, injured."
Dutch police chief Peter Holla said five individuals were taken to a hospital for treatment before being discharged, and a video posted online showed an Israeli fan being seemingly beaten unconscious.
But Holla, who described his own "really shocked" reaction during a news conference, also said Tel Aviv Maccabi fans had set a Palestinian flag on fire in the city and attacked a taxi, and clashes between the different groups had continued into the early hours of Friday morning, with a further 30 Maccabi fans facing less severe injuries.
Videos posted online seem to show Maccabi Tel Aviv fans — some of whom are known in Israel for aggressive behavior against Palestinian players — shouting racist anti-Arab epithets and slogans against Palestinians.
Authorities said demonstrations will be banned through the weekend, and police patrols will be significantly stepped up to stem any more violence.
Willem Marx reported for the digital story from London. Teri Schultz reported for broadcast from Brussels.
