Amsterdam Police Given Emergency Powers After Night of Antisemitic Pogrom
As Europe marks the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Dutch city of Amsterdam gave police emergency powers to prevent further breakout of antisemitic violence. The measures to protect the Netherlands Jewish monitory came after the city on Friday night witnessed an anti-Jewish pogrom as organized Muslim migrant gangs ambushed hundreds of Israeli soccer fans after a match between Israel’s ‘Maccabi Tel Aviv’ and the Dutch team ‘AFC Ajax,’ historically seen as a Jewish club.
“Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days from Friday after overnight attacks on Israeli soccer supporters by what the mayor called “antisemitic hit-and-run squads,” Reuters reported Saturday.
The city “banned demonstrations through the weekend and gave police emergency stop-and-search powers in response to the unrest,” the news agency added.
Reports: Well-organized attackers identified as Muslims, some spoke Arabic
The Israeli fans were ambushed by masked men dressed in black. The attackers spoke Arabic, news reports suggest.
“Videos depicting the attacks after the game showed an Israeli being beaten and cornered by a group of black-clad young men,” Germany’s DW TV reported. The broadcaster added that “videos documenting attacks against Israelis on the streets of Amsterdam” contained “swear words in Arabic and English being heard in the background.”
“The fans testified that an ambush had been prepared for them in advance at various points outside the stadium,” the Israeli broadcaster Arutz Sheva reported. “Disturbing footage from the city, which was posted to social media, fans are seen being violently attacked, beaten and even run over.” One of the Israeli eyewitnesses identified his attackers a ‘Muslims,’ the news outlet added.
Dutch police release most of the suspected attackers
Most of the suspects, detained after the overnight attacks, have been released. “Of the 62 people local authorities detained following the attacks on Israeli soccer fans on Thursday night, only ten remain in custody,” the Jerusalem Post reported citing official Dutch sources.
Europe reacts to Amsterdam Pogrom: “Most shameful hours in history”
The pogrom was unleashed just days ahead of November 9, also marked as the Reichskristallnacht or the ‘Night of Broken Glass,’ a date remembered for the 1938 Nazi pogroms against German Jews in the run-up to the Holocaust.
The attacks were widely condemned by European leaders, the BBC reported:
German leaders felt the Amsterdam riots keenly. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said they were “unbearable”: Jews had to be able to feel safe in Europe, he said.Dutch King Willem-Alexander said the same – that Jews had to feel safe at all times: “We put our arms around them and will not let them go.” And France’s Emmanuel Macron said the attacks were a reminder of the “most shameful hours in history”.
Germany’s DW TV added:
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has condemned the incident, saying on X that he “followed the news from Amsterdam with horror. Completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis.”The Dutch leader said that he was in close communication with Netanyahu and that he had stressed that those responsible would be “tracked down and prosecuted.”European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was among those condemning the attacks.”Outraged by last night’s vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam,” von der Leyen said. “I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts. Antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe.”German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also spoke out against the violent scenes.”The images from Amsterdam are horrific and deeply shameful for us in Europe. The outbreak of such violence against Jews crosses all boundaries. There is no justification for this. Jews must be safe in Europe,” Baerbock said on X.
Dutch politician and leader of the ruling Freedom Party (PVV), Geert Wilders, condemned the ‘Jew hunt in the streets of Amsterdam’ and called for the deportation of antisemitic migrant gangs involved in the attack.
Rescue planes bring Israeli fans home
Israeli government dispatched two rescue planes on Saturday, successfully bringing beleaguered succor fans home.
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