Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), called for “immediate, strong measures” following violent incidents targeting Jewish individuals in Amsterdam.
“A witness account. Disgusting. Violence, knives, Jew-hatred, no police. I’m done with it,” Wilders posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.
Outraged by last night’s vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam. I just spoke with @MinPres Schoof.I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts.Antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight all forms of hatred.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 8, 2024
“Immediate, strong measures NOW. Why isn’t there an extra council of ministers? Where is the sense of urgency?”
Victim statement
Wilders shared the harrowing testimony of an Israeli victim, identified as Maccabi T.A., who described scenes of chaos and fear.
“I finished four months of reserve duty in Gaza, and what I experienced here is no less scary,” the victim recounted. “I got run over and [someone] pulled a knife on me. I am lightly injured but not willing to get treatment here, only in Israel.”
He added, “There is war out here… no police, complete chaos. Everything was pre-organized.”
The incident has intensified calls for urgent governmental action. Wilders plans to visit Amsterdam to support the victims and is pressing authorities to address the alarming rise in antisemitic violence.
Meeting with Israeli officials
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar met Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel and far-right leader Geert Wilders in Amsterdam on Friday afternoon to discuss the assaults on Israeli soccer supporters in the city.
"(I) emphasized that the Netherlands strongly condemns the violence and that there is no place for hatred and anti-Semitism", van Weel said on social media platform X.
"The perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted", he added.
Meanwhile, Wilders, who heads the largest party in the Dutch government and is known for his anti-Muslim rhetoric, said he had assured Saar of "our common interest to beat antisemitism and Jew hate and that radical Islamic values have no place in a free society".