Israel to send planes to Amsterdam after violence against Israeli soccer fans
Leaders of Israel, Netherlands condemn ‘antisemitic’ attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam
Israel was sending two commercial planes to the Netherlands on Friday to repatriate hundreds of Israeli soccer fans after overnight attacks in the streets of Amsterdam that officials described as antisemitic.
Videos circulating on social media showed riot police intervening in street clashes, with some attackers shouting anti-Israeli slurs.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were “attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks” and that riot police had to intervene several times to protect them and escort them to hotels. At least five people were treated in hospital, she said.
Antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands have surged since Israel launched its assault on Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Hamas group, with many Jewish organisations and schools reporting threats and hate mail.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the order to send planes was taken after “a very violent incident” targeting Israeli citizens after the match between Maccabi and Ajax Amsterdam, traditionally identified as a Jewish club.
