Amsterdam police announced today, Friday, the arrest of 62 people, and the transfer of 5 injured to the hospital, after riots broke out in the city center, following a match between the Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv football teams.
At midnight on Thursday-Friday, fans of the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv football team caused chaos and acts of vandalism in the Dutch capital, as they took down the Palestinian flag from a building, tore it up, and provoked Dutch taxi drivers of Arab origin.
The Israeli fans also provoked the Dutch fans in the stands by refusing to observe a minute of silence in mourning for the victims of the Valencia floods in Spain, and even lit fireworks during the minute while the rest of the fans remained silent.
A large number of Israeli fans chanted anti-Arab slogansPalestineWhich led to fistfights between the two parties.
Reports of missing persons
In this context, Amsterdam police announced that 62 people were detained after the match, adding that the fans left the stadium without incident, but various clashes were reported in the city center during the night.
The police indicated that they had transported five injured people to the hospital, and that they were investigating reports of possible hostage-taking and missing persons, but did not find anything to confirm this.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed in a statement that “10 Israelis were injured and contact with three others was lost after they were exposed to violence in Amsterdam after the match ended.”
For her part, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsma said on Friday that her agencies are still working to determine the full scope of the violence.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schekhof described these acts of violence as “unacceptable”, adding that all perpetrators should be tried.
Fans evacuated
On the other hand, the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar To Amsterdam today, Friday, on an “urgent diplomatic visit” after what his office called “serious events.”
In turn, the Israeli Air Navigation Authority announced on Friday that a plane will land in Amsterdam this afternoon, to pick up fans of the Israeli club from the Netherlands.
Israeli media reported that more than 2,700 Israelis were waiting to be evacuated from Amsterdam, after what they described as “acts of violence” last night.
In turn, the Israeli army announced that it would not send a delegation to Amsterdam, after announcing its intention to send a force to the Netherlands to contribute to the evacuation of Israelis it said had been subjected to acts of violence.
The Israeli army confirmed that all its personnel were banned from traveling to the Netherlands until further notice.
‘Serious developments’
The Israeli media and politicians reacted with shock to the violence, describing it as one of the most dangerous developments that have occurred since the beginning of the conflict. The war on Gaza More than a year ago.
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her “dismay” at what she described as “the despicable attacks that targeted Israeli citizens in Amsterdam.”
“I strongly condemn these unacceptable actions,” von der Leyen wrote on the X platform after speaking with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.Anti-Semitism In Europe. We are determined to fight all forms of hatred.”
The United Nations also expressed its concern about the clashes that took place in Amsterdam, adding: “No one should be subjected to discrimination or violence on the basis of their national, religious, ethnic, or any other basis.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, “The pictures from Amsterdam are horrific and extremely shameful for Europe.”
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