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Violent clashes broke out in Amsterdam as Israeli soccer fans were targeted and ambushed by allegedly antisemitic individuals in several “hit-and-run” attacks.
Knewz.com has learned that the incidents occurred after the Europa League soccer game between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Dutch soccer club Ajax on the night of November 7.
According to reports, tensions in the Dutch capital city were already on the rise prior to the soccer match, with videos circulating on social media showing fans of the Israeli club chanting anti-Arab slurs and yelling "F--- the Arabs."
Israeli soccer fans were also heard praising the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the ongoing military operation in Gaza—which has left more than 43,000 people dead in the past 13 months, most of whom are women and children.
It has been reported that video clips on social media supposedly filmed prior to the soccer match also showed Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ripping Palestinian flags off buildings.
After the Europa League match was over, a night of targeted violent assault descended upon Israeli soccer fans as "criminals on scooters" looked for Maccabi supporters to "ambush and attack."
It has been reported that the atmosphere at the stadium was relatively calm during and after the match, which the Israeli soccer club lost by five goals.
The attacks were reported around the Amsterdam city center at night as "hundreds" of Maccabi supporters were chased down and violently assaulted, according to the Israeli embassy to the United States.
The embassy shared video clips of the attacks on social media, one of which showed a man being kicked repeatedly as he lay helplessly on the ground. Another rather shocking clip purportedly showed an Israeli soccer fan being run over by a car—which was seemingly filmed from the driver's point of view.
Yet another video clip showed a Maccabi fan being beaten up by an individual yelling "Free Palestine" and "For the children, motherf-----," presumably referencing the numerous children who have died in the Gaza conflict so far.
One of the video clips also showed a man shouting "I am not Jewish" while being chased down the street. His "clarification" seemingly made no difference, however, as he was soon thrown to the ground and beaten up.
"Hundreds of fans of the [Maccabi soccer club] were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against [Ajax]. The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media," the Israeli embassy to the U.S. wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In a follow-up post, the embassy added:
"Responses to this video so far have ranged from: they started it (by chanting), they deserve it (since they're Israelis), and they don't belong there. Let's get one thing clear: there is no justification for a lynching mob."
"Israeli soccer fans should be allowed to support their team without fear of physical danger. The days of chasing Jews down European city streets should remain in the dark annals of history," the post further read.
Femke Halsema, the Mayor of Amsterdam, shared a statement in the aftermath of the violent attacks, saying, "This is a terrible moment for our city. … I am very ashamed of the behavior that was shown last night."
"There can be tensions there are many demonstrations and protests and we are always prepared for them, and of course, they are related to the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing war. But what happened last night wasn’t a protest. … It was crime," she added.
Authorities in Amsterdam also shared a statement following the night of targeted violence, saying, "There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night by rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them."
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on social media that he was "horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens."
"This is completely unacceptable. I am in close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken to [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu by phone to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted. The situation in Amsterdam is now calm once more," PM Schoof wrote on X.
Geert Wilders, founder and leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom called the attacks a "pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam."
"We have become the Gaza of Europe. Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews. I will NOT accept that. NEVER. The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens. Never again," Wilders wrote.
It has been reported that five of the injured Israeli soccer fans were released from the hospital on the morning of Friday, November 8, and that 20 to 30 people were lightly injured in the attacks.
Law enforcement officials in Amsterdam have stated that 63 individuals were arrested over the night and 10 remain in custody.
Noted politicians from all around the world shared their thoughts on the violence Israeli soccer fans were subjected to in Amsterdam on Thursday night, with Canadian Member of Parliament and strong Israel advocate Melissa Lantsman commenting that "This is what 'globalize the intifada' looks like."
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer wrote that images of the Amsterdam attack are "eerily reminiscent" of Kristallnacht—a pogrom carried out by the Nazi Party's Sturmabteilung and Schutzstaffel paramilitary forces against the Jews on November 9-10, 1938.
Senator Katie Boyd Britt from Alabama also shared her thoughts about the attack, writing, "It is absolutely despicable to see the blatant attacks on Jews in Amsterdam, many forced to flee for their lives. After the Holocaust, we said Never Again, yet here we are nearly 80 years later. I am praying for the Jewish people worldwide."