Trouble in Amsterdam by Dylan Brody
November 11, 2024
Following the Thursday night soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv on November 7, 2024, a group of young Muslim men on scooters began what they termed a “jew hunt” on a Telegram channel. The “jew hunt” involved a series of hit-and-run style attacks against Israeli fans in the streets of Amsterdam that stretched into early Friday morning. Footage and reports showed the group of young Muslim men throwing fireworks and rocks at the Israeli fans after the match. The most serious incidents were the beating up of many Israeli fans and running over one as well. Israeli fans said they locked themselves in their hotel rooms while fearing for their lives. Dutch police dressed in riot gear did eventually intervene, arresting 62 suspects and escorting some Israelis back to their hotels. The Israeli government told its citizens to find shelter. By Friday morning El-Al planes were on the ground at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol lifting over 2000 Israeli fans back to Israel. Five Israelis were hospitalized due to the attacks, and all of them have since been discharged from the hospital.
In a tweet dated November 8, 2024, Dutch PM, Dick Schoof said he is “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens” calling them “completely unacceptable.” He stressed that he spoke to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and is planning to prosecute all involved. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said “there was an outburst of antisemitism the likes of which we hoped not to see again in Amsterdam” when referring to the attacks. Netanyahu compared the attacks to Kristallnacht, a Nazi pogrom that killed Jews and destroyed Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.
The attacks in Amsterdam are part of a wave of anti-Semitic attacks happening on European soil and further signify that anti-Semitism continues to plague even the most developed European countries.
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