Israel sends help to victims of Amsterdam pogrom, Jewish leaders express horror

Amsterdam police on Friday said ten people were in custody after Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans were attacked by what Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema described as "anti-semitic hit-and-run squads".

"This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed," Halsema said at a news conference.

"Anti-semitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions," Halsema said, adding perpetrators had managed to escape a large police presence.

As of 2 p.m. on Friday, the number of missing Israelis is still three, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced.

However, according to the mayor of Amsterdam and the local police, all the wounded Israelis who were in hospitals have been released.
 

Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema said on Friday her services were still in the process of ascertaining the full extent of the violence that targeted Israeli soccer fans surrounding a Ajax - Maccabi Tel Aviv Europe League game.

"Despite the massive police deployment in the city, Israeli supporters were injured," Halsema said in an Instagram post, adding that the exact figure of victims and people arrested was not yet clear.

Following events in Amsterdam, newly appointed Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, has urgently flown to the Netherlands on the request of the Prime Minister on Friday morning.

During his visit, Minister Sa'ar will meet with senior officials in the Dutch government, including his counterpart, the Dutch Foreign Minister.

Minister Sa'ar will reportedly also meet with Israelis in Amsterdam as well as with the local Jewish community.

Israel's Population and Immigration Authority will help Israelis who have lost their passports in Amsterdam following Thursday night's pogrom, allowing them to board flights using transit documents or passport photocopies, Israeli media reported on Friday morning.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel also instructed the authority to operate in emergency mode even during Shabbat.

The Dutch Organization for Central Jewish Consultation issued an urgent call on Friday for immediate, tough measures following apparent antisemitic attacks after an Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv football match.

"The terrible scenes we witnessed last night show that there is no time to wait before taking tough measures", the CJO said in a statement.

Amsterdam Police announced that it is investigating a possible hostage situation, after reports were made following the pogrom against Israeli soccer fans on Thursday night.

In a statement on Friday morning, the police said it currently has no confirmation of whether the hostage situation occurred, but that a number of people were reported missing.

Violent attacks against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans continue to take place in Amsterdam following a soccer match between Maccabi and Ajax on Thursday evening. 

Local authorities and Israel's Foreign Ministry have reported that ten Israelis have been injured so far in the pogrom, with consul members currently searching hospitals. Three people have been reported missing. 

Among those missing is 33 year old Israeli-Bulgarian Guy Avidor, who traveled from London for the game. The last contact his family had with him was a post on social media before the match, and he has since been missing for 10 hours, according to Walla.

Guy's family have asked the public with for help in trying to locate him.

Authorities say that the situation has calmed down over the last hour, and Israelis have been instructed to shelter in place. A Dutch police spokeswoman said 57 have been arrested so far.

Footage circulating on social media has shown fans being beaten, chased with knives, and narrowly avoiding being hit by vehicles. Dutch riot police were sent in to respond to the attackers.

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According to Maariv, there has been at least one attempt at kidnapping an Israeli, and many have barricaded themselves in stores and buildings.

Israel’s embassy in the Netherlands is working to relocate Israelis to a safe location.

Jews are openly being beaten in Amsterdam tonight pic.twitter.com/O8mqzX5cF8

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 8, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the incident and has sent two rescue planes to assist Israeli citizens. The IDF is coordinating the rescue mission, and are sending cargo aircraft and two planes from the Hercules squadron with medical and rescue teams. 

Israel's two chief rabbis have given permission for El Al company to fly on Shabbat in order to provide life-saving assistance.

The Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu views the "horrifying incident with utmost gravity" and called on the Dutch government and security forces take "vigorous and swift action against the rioters." 

He spoke with Dutch prime Minister Dick Schoof on Friday morning, asking him for increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands. 

PM Schoof posted on X that he had been following the news from Amsterdam "with horror."

"Completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis."

He added that in his call with Netanyahu, the Israeli PM had emphasized that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted.

The National Security Council has issued a new warning to Israelis and Jews in the Netherlands.

“Avoid movements in the street and lock yourself in hotel rooms. The externalization of Israeli and Jewish symbols must be avoided.”

Israir, Arkia and El Al have added three rescue flights, on the order of the Transport Ministry.

Details of the incident

Multiple videos showed Israelis jumping into canals to avoid the protesters. One video shows a man been kicked to the ground, while he yells at them "I'm not Jewish."

 "I called my friend, and a voice in Arabic answered," one man said.

"We experience the very thing they told us in school would never happen again," another told Maariv.

These attacks come just hours after the country commemorated the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Jewish Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. were leaving a Soccer Match tonight in Amsterdam, when they were Attacked and Beaten by Crowds of Arabs that were waiting outside the Stadium. At least 12 Injuries are being reported, including several deemed to be Serious; with Jews said to… pic.twitter.com/ORD0EBxgEc

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 8, 2024

A member of Chabad Amsterdam who was at the game told The Jerusalem Post, "I'm in shock now and hope that it will end soon. Didn't expect it at all."

"We'll try to help everyone, God willing," he added.

Israeli fans indicated to journalist Raz Amir that they believed the attack was planned in advance.

According to Amir, the police left the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans alone and did not provide any escort from when they boarded the trains and made their way to the hotels.

"The Dutch police sold us so that the Arabs would lynch us," one fan told him after escaping the attack and arriving at the Amsterdam airport injured and bloody.

"This seems like a PLANNED and ORGANIZED POGROM in Amsterdam," former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted.

"A fan told journalist Aviva Klompas that they ran over him, pulling a knife on him.

"We were ambushed…The police here abandoned us. Every fourth person walking the street is a Muslim who has come to attack Jews." 

Naftali Bennett

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted on X/Twitter to alert people to the situation.

“At these moments, Arabs are rampaging around and brutally beating Israeli tourists in a way that seems life-threatening,” he wrote.

“I am calling on everyone who can, to act by any means to save their lives. Wake up.”

Bennett made posts in both Hebrew and English, urging authorities to get involved.

Shocking pogroms against Jews in Amsterdam - fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv report that the attacks were premeditated by groups of Arabs.

They gathered in clusters of 5 to 10 in alleys and key exits from various train stations, particularly around Dam Square and the streets near… pic.twitter.com/cdCiVJxxjy

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 8, 2024

“What I see seems to be life-threatening: innocent people being run-over, beaten, driven into a river and more,” his post in English said. 

“I call on the Dutch authorities to act immediately to prevent injuries and worse. Anybody that can act, please do so now.” he tagged Minister-president of the Netherlands Dick Schoof, who has yet to address the situation.

Foreign Ministry and Gideon Sa'ar

Newly appointed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed in an official statement that he was handling the incident, which he said had not yet ended, and the authorities in Amsterdam have not yet gained control.

He added that he was directly liaising with the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands, alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu.

He also posted a hotline for Israelis and Jews in danger.

אנו מטפלים מול הגורמים בהולנד בארועים החמורים שם. כל ישראלי או יהודי שנמצא כרגע במצוקה או יש לו מידע ומיקום על ארוע אלים שמתרחש כעת - אנא לפנות לחדר מצב:
0097225303155

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) November 8, 2024

The Embassy of Israel to the USA posted additional hotlines .

"[We are] urging Israelis who are in need of assistance to call one of these numbers: +97225303155, +31634138229"

Israel Foreign Ministry said the "horrific scenes from Amsterdam" echoed "Europe's darkest history."

"Hundreds of fans of Israel’s Maccabi TLV were ambushed and brutally attacked in Amsterdam last night after the match against Ajax. On the eve of Kristallnacht—when Jews in Nazi Germany faced brutal attacks—it is horrifying to witness antisemitic violence on the streets of Europe once again."

Preparations for the event

On Monday, Spain’s AS newspaper reported that a pro-Palestinian group was planning to protest outside the stadium, targeting the Israeli team and its fans, and on Tuesday, it was reported that in addition to Maccabi’s regular security, Mossad agents would join the team to provide additional protection.

Earlier on Thursday, the NL Times reported that several individuals had been arrested for riots. However, Amsterdam police did not confirm whether they were fans of the football club or pro-Palestinian supporters.

Additionally, the Diaspora Ministry said it had warned Dutch police about the high risk situation, and alerted them to three incidents ahead of the game.

"Unfortunately, the local forces failed in their mission of protecting Israeli football fans," wrote Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli.

The Netherlands is the location of both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, which have sought to place arrest warrants on Israeli officials.

Violent attacks on Israelis within Amsterdam, following a Maccabi Tel Aviv game against Ajax Amsterdam, resulted in several wounded, three people missing, and a warning for Jewish and Israeli people in Amsterdam to shelter in place.

The incident, which prompted multiple emergency evacuation flights back to Israel from the Netherlands and the deployment of an IDF Search and Rescue team to Amsterdam, has drawn criticism from leaders worldwide.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed of the incident and sent two rescue planes to assist Israeli citizens.

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.

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) November 8, 2024

The Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu views the "horrifying incident with utmost gravity" and called on the Dutch government and security forces take "vigorous and swift action against the rioters." 

International reactions 

Prime Minister Dick Schoof shared on X/Twitter that he had just received a call from Netanyahu regarding the violent incident.

"Completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis. I am in close contact with all those involved" he said, concluding that the riots had quieted down. 

Protesters running after Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam (credit: screenshot)

Dutch Party for Freedom founder and leader Geert Wilders posted, “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.

Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt reacted, "Horrified by the attacks tonight in Amsterdam, which are terribly reminiscent of a classic pogrom. 

"In terrible historical irony, this is happening two days before the grim anniversary of Reichspogromnacht in 1938, when Nazi-sanctioned and led pogroms against Jews erupted across the German Reich."

Melissa Lantsman, who is a Canadian Member of Parliament and a strong advocate for Israel, posted, "The scenes from the streets of Amsterdam tonight are absolutely horrific. This is what “globalize the intifada” looks like. 

She warned, "Don’t look the other way. Watch the footage and stand up against this lawless mob there and everywhere."

US Senator Katie Boyd Britt from Alabama wrote, "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."

Elica Le Bon, an Iranian-British lawyer and activist shared her disgust at this level of public antisemitism. "This is the direct result of normalizing antisemitism post-Oct. 7, where the most flagrant acts of Jew-hatred were cast aside as just “bleeding hearts who are against the war.”

"Remind me again how these are all just kind people who care about humanity?"

National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, condemned "the mobs of people hate-filled people chasing down and attacking innocent Israeli soccer fans who they have dehumanized as 'Zionists'."

"We demand Dutch authorities do everything necessary to ensure the safety of the Israeli fans, work to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators, and apologize for this obscene, unprovoked violence."

A 'new Kristallnacht'

The Combat Antisemitism Movement similarly referred to the Amsterdam attack as a modern-day Kristallnacht. 

In a press release, the organization stated, “The difference today is that Jews have the State of Israel as their sanctuary. However, Europe should remember this: Jews won't wait around like they did in '39. As they said over eight decades ago, first, they came for the Jews, but it did not end there. It's time for Europe to get its act together and deal with the new Nazis as it did the old ones.”

Israeli leaders and international Jewish figures have reacted with horror to the scenes of violent antisemitism that unfolded in Amsterdam on Thursday night following a Maccabi TLV-Ajax soccer match.

The pogrom against Israeli fans, which resulted in multiple wounded and three missing, is now apparently under control, according to Dutch officials.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) called the attacks on Israeli soccer fans "a new Kristallnacht."

“Exactly 86 years after Kristallnacht, when Nazis, along with ordinary Germans hunted Jews through the streets of Europe, we see their ideological heirs rampaging through the streets of Amsterdam once again seeking to spill Jewish blood,” said CEO of CAM Sacha Roytman Dratwa.

“Thousands of Islamists, who are today's neo-Nazis in ideology and action, in a clearly premeditated and organized fashion, targeted Jews in what feels to many as a loud echo from history.”

Dratwa stressed a difference between 1939 and today: the State of Israel.

Pro-Palestinians demonstrate at Amsterdam's Anton de Komplein square ahead of the UEFA Europa League football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 7, 2024. (credit: JEROEN JUMELET/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

"The Jews won't wait around like they did in '39," Dratwa added. "They'll leave, leaving you to deal with the extremism that has been allowed to fester."

Jews first, West next

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed a similar sentiment, writing that “This is not only an injury to Jews and Israelis, but a warning sign to all European countries against radical Muslim violence. Those who turn a blind eye to Islamic terrorism in the Middle East will meet it at home in Europe and the West."

"Today, the victims were Israelis; tomorrow it will be you Europeans."

The President of United Haztalah, Eli Beer, said, "This is what happens when terrorists are allowed into Europe." 

"Tonight, in central Amsterdam, young Jews were attacked by Palestinians, facing attempted lynching. The police were absent or arrived too late. This is happening in the heart of Europe, and it’s only the beginning. In Israel, we confront this daily, but now it’s spreading to Europe."

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon addressed the situation, calling for the UN to condemn the pogrom.

"These are the true faces of the supporters of the radical terrorism we are fighting," he wrote.

"The western world needs to wake up now!! This is the time when the UN should immediately and clearly condemn the violence of the Palestinians and their supporters. The Dutch authorities must take decisive action against terrorism now."

Former War Cabinet minister Benny Gantz said that the pogrom "penetrates the soul of every Jew, with difficult images that remind us of dark and painful days."

He asked the Dutch government to do everything it could to protect Israelis with all the means at its disposal against the antisemitic terrorists.

“These shocking antisemitic attacks on the streets of a European city should be a wake-up call to Dutch and European authorities about where uncontrolled anti-Israel demonstrations lead,” said the President of the European Jewish Congress Dr. Ariel Muzicant.

 “We are deeply shocked that such a pogrom can take place on the streets of Europe with Israelis apparently offered little protection, but we are fully aware that these attacks do not occur in a vacuum and come against a background of wide scale displays of anti-Jewish and Israeli hate on the streets of European capitals, mimicking the Hamas pogrom of Israelis on October 7 last year", Muzicant said. 

The President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Phil Rosenberg, said he would be speaking to British police and government officials over the coming days to ensure such a "pogrom" would not be repeated in the UK.

Shir Perets contributed to this report.