What happened Thursday night in Amsterdam?

Photo: InterVision Associated Press This image, taken from an Associated Press video, shows dozens of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans, raising their fists and using the acronym for the Israeli army as they march toward Johan Cruyff Stadium, escorted by police.

Mathieu Carbasse

Posted at 4:36 p.m.

• Europe

On the night of Thursday to Friday, supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team, who had come to watch their team’s match against Ajax Amsterdam, were violently attacked in the streets of the city, in a context of violence between Israeli supporters and pro-Palestinian groups.

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In several neighborhoods of the Dutch capital, individuals attacked Maccabi supporters before fleeing on scooters. Videos authenticated by Agence France-Presse (AFP) show groups tracking down Israeli fans, throwing objects at them, hitting them and abusing them.

???? Israeli fans were attacked after a soccer match in Amsterdam. The Dutch Prime Minister denounced “totally unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks_.
→https://t.co/8sXu3mESJg pic.twitter.com/psJi2zD7Ud

— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro) November 8, 2024

Local authorities reported 63 arrests, while about 20 Maccabi fans were injured. Authorities also denied rumors of kidnappings and disappearances that quickly spread. About 40 of those arrested were arrested for disturbing the peace. They were fined and released, according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “terrible accident,” and Israel organized emergency flights to repatriate its citizens.

For her part, the city's Green mayor, Femke Halsema, spoke of a “dark night” and denounced an “explosion of anti-Semitism.” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has had to cancel his trip to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, which began this week in Baku, Azerbaijan.

International reactions

In a context marked by the rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli acts around the world since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, this violence has sparked numerous reactions within the international community.

US President Joe Biden has described these “anti-Semitic attacks” as “abject.” In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also spoke of “a dark moment for our world,” while his counterpart in Quebec, François Legault, condemned anti-Semitic acts as “unacceptable and revolting.”

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The acts of anti-Semitic violence that occurred yesterday in Amsterdam are completely unacceptable and revolting. They must be denounced loudly and clearly. My thoughts are with the Jewish community and the victims.

— François Legault (@francoislegault) November 8, 2024

In France, President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that “France would continue to fight against odious anti-Semitism relentlessly,” “firmly” denouncing this violence.

As for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, he said he was “shocked” by this violence, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen denounced “despicable attacks.”

Tensions from Wednesday

The day before the match, incidents had already broken out in some neighborhoods, and a pro-Palestinian rally, initially planned for the area around the Johan Cruyff stadium where the match was taking place, had been moved a little further away by the city hall for security reasons.

“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 [one of the main arteries in downtown Amsterdam] and destroyed a taxi. “A Palestinian flag was set on fire,” said Peter Holla, the chief of police in Amsterdam.

The videos that the daily newspaper Le Monde was able to identify show a man tearing a Palestinian flag off a facade, while a group of people shout “Fuck you, Palestine”. In another, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans chant: “Let the IDF win and finish off the Arabs.”

Another Associated Press video shows dozens of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans, raising their fists and using the acronym for the Israeli army as they march toward the stadium, escorted by police.

Several chants praising the Israeli army and against the Palestinians were also reportedly sung by fans, with lyrics such as: “There are no schools in Gaza because there are no more children. »

A group of Maccabi Tel Aviv hooligans chanted “Death to the Arabs” and “Let the IDF fuck the Arabs” ahead of the Uefa Europa League match against Amsterdam’s Ajax on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/Kj3WpzeGyi

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) November 8, 2024

It should be noted that the match took place in a generally calm atmosphere, although some Israeli supporters did not observe the minute of silence in memory of the victims of the floods in Spain, a country that recently recognized the State of Palestine.

?????????????? There was a moment of silence for victims of the Spanish floods before the Europa League match between Ajax and Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The Jews present disrupted the silence with chants, whistles and fireworks. Really vile.

pic.twitter.com/xXKbwKqpqm

— Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) November 8, 2024

The history of Maccabi ultras

Close to the Israeli far right, the Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters’ group of ultras has already been accused in the past of acts of violence and racist chants.

In 2014, for example, a group of supporters shouted racist insults at Mahran Radi, an Arab-Israeli who was playing for the club at the time. Graffiti was also painted in the Tel Aviv region: “We don’t want Arabs at Maccabi!”

In 2015, they distinguished themselves by opposing an initiative to donate part of the team’s revenue to help Syrian refugees. They had unfurled a banner reading “Refugees not welcome” (Refugees are not welcome).

More recently, in March, some of the team’s supporters beat a Palestinian in Athens, Greece, before their match against Olympiakos.

In January 2023, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were also ejected from a volleyball match (Maccabi is an all-sport club) for disrupting the game against the Cypriot team Omonia V.C., ignoring warnings from the referees and the Israeli sports minister.

With Agence France-Presse