Written on: November 8, 2024, 06:21h. 

Last updated on: November 8, 2024, 06:23h.

Violent attacks targeting Israeli soccer fans erupted in Amsterdam recently, with a brutal incident reportedly occurring outside an unidentified casino.

According to reports, two Israelis were violently attacked by a crowd outside the casino. They were eventually able to seek refuge inside the establishment, as reported by Ynet, an Israeli news source.

Approximately 50 rioters were gathered outside the casino, with some allegedly carrying knives and sticks.

The casino’s security personnel secured the premises, guiding Israeli visitors to safety in a lower-level area.

One victim recounted, “About thirty minutes later, seven police vehicles arrived. The police escorted us out in small groups using an alternate path to avoid the attackers. They didn’t have a clear solution – just advised us to ‘leave and hope for the best.'”

We left in small groups. The entire situation felt surreal. The city was filled with Palestinian flags, and almost every taxi driver was Arab. If they recognized you as Israeli, there was a lot of hostility,” stated a man identified as Or Shponder in Ynet.

It seems that most, if not all, of the Israelis staying at the casino were supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team, which was playing in Amsterdam.

Widespread Violence

Additional violent incidents targeting Israelis occurred in various locations throughout the Dutch city.

Numerous reports indicated that at least 10 Israelis were assaulted. Three other Israeli visitors were reported missing, with officials searching local hospitals for any injured individuals, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, Israel’s leading newspaper.

Many members of the mobs chanted “Free Palestine” and other anti-Israeli slogans as they attacked or threatened Israelis. Some taxi drivers were accused of attempting to run over Israelis on the streets of Amsterdam.

By Friday, 62 rioters had been arrested, according to the BBC. Specialized riot officers were deployed by local law enforcement to apprehend individuals involved in the violent incidents, with more arrests anticipated.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof assured that the “perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted.”

El Al, Israel’s national airline, dispatched two planes to Amsterdam to evacuate hundreds of Israeli citizens.

Additionally, Israel’s National Security Council advised Israelis and any Jewish individuals in The Netherlands to “Avoid going outdoors and stay in your hotel rooms. Avoid displaying Israeli and Jewish symbols publicly.”

Termed a ‘Jew Hunt’

Geert Wilders, a far-right political leader in the Dutch government, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “seems like a ‘Jew hunt’ on the streets of Amsterdam.”

Arrest and deport the multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets,” he added. “Ashamed that this can happen in The Netherlands.”

He vowed that the “authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect Israeli citizens.”

Unconfirmed reports suggested that there were altercations between Israelis and pro-Palestinian protestors before the outbreak of violence in Amsterdam. One report indicated that a Palestinian flag was torn down.

Remembering Nazi Attacks

The anti-Semitic violence in Amsterdam took place shortly after the city commemorated the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Kristallnacht was a state-sponsored anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany on November 9 and 10, 1938, prior to the onset of World War II. Many Jews were killed, synagogues were set on fire, and numerous Jewish businesses were vandalized.