On the occasion of the match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, street clashes broke out in the Dutch capital, which the media and Israeli politicians were quick to label a pogrom, a top-down attack on visiting fans. Others point out that earlier it was Israeli visitors who had committed acts of violence against Amsterdam residents.
This text has been auto-translated from Polish.
The Europa League football match played last Thursday ended in an emphatic victory for Ajax Amsterdam, which beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 5:0, but it was not the on-field events that attracted the most attention. Much more (in)famous became the clashes unrelated to sporting competition, taking place outside the stadium.
The night after the Maccabi defeat, supporters of the Israeli club returning from Johan Cruijff Arena became targets of attacks in various parts of the city. A total of 20-30 people, mostly Israelis, were injured; five were hospitalized. Police detained some 60 people. However, the first incidents occurred even before the match, and were generally initiated by visitors.
"Let the IDF win, j*** the Arabs"
Known for their racism and far-right views, Maccabi Tel Aviv ultras were not idle in the days leading up to the meeting, demonstrating their political beliefs, especially their attitude toward Palestine. Crowds of supporters could be heard on the streets of the Dutch capital chanting slogans such as "may the IDF win, j***ć Arabs" or "death to the Arabs." There was also no shortage of shouts praising the destruction of schools and the killing of children in Gaza. Back at the stadium, Maccabi fans disrupted a minute of silence dedicated to the Valencia flood victims, presumably in view of the Spanish government's critical attitude toward the occupation of Palestine.
The words and whistles did not end there. Israelis tore down Palestinian flags, displayed on some houses in the center of Amsterdam, and at least one was publicly burned. What's more, Maccabi supporters attacked a local cab driver, spotting him of Arab descent. Israeli hooligans also accosted other Dutchmen, especially those expressing sympathy for Palestine, even attempting to break into buildings whose occupants they suspected of doing the same. Added to this was the vandalizing of public spaces, stone throwing and numerous threats, including deadly ones.
The response of the Dutch services to the aggressive behavior of the visitors was very conservative. No arrests were attempted, perhaps fearing to provoke the fans and escalate the violence. In one recording, Israelis can even be heard making derisive comments about the police presence nearby, stating that they had nothing to fear from the officers. The latter were more forceful against participants in the pro-Palestinian protests, if only by successfully stopping them from reaching the stadium on Thursday evening. However, they failed to prevent an explosion of violence after the match, when supporters stepped in to brutalize the visitors.
"Crystal night" on the streets of Amsterdam?
Footage from the night of November 8, showing attacks by groups of young men on Maccabi supporters, circulated the world. The perpetrators coordinated their actions using messengers such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat, encouraging each other to hunt down Israelis or Jews. Using scooters and cabs, they drove up to spotted victims, beat them up, and then quickly fled the scene of the crime.
In some places, brawls ensued with Maccabi supporters grabbing sticks and stones for both defensive and offensive purposes. In turn, some of the Dutch aggressors had knives or other dangerous tools, which they used against people wearing the colors of the Israeli club, but not only that - random passers-by were asked about their nationality and demanded to show their passports. Owners of the wrong documents were spat on, beaten or thrown into sewers.
It is likely that Muslims and men of Arab descent living in Amsterdam were responsible for the vast majority of the attacks, giving the clashes an ethnic-religious rather than fan-based dimension. Rumors circulated on social media about former soldiers or Mossad agents present among Maccabi fans, adding to the aggression. There were no reported speeches against Dutch Jews or acts of vandalism at local synagogues, but many of the aggressors did not hide their anti-Semitic motivations, raising hateful shouts.
Dutch and European politicians unanimously condemned the "hunt for Jews" that took place on the streets of Amsterdam. The media went even further, writing of a "pogrom," while Benjamin Netanyahu compared the events to Kristallnacht - the Nazi repression against Jews on the eve of World War II. Some compare the events in Amsterdam to the Holocaust and recall the figure of Anne Frank - while others point out that the author of the famous diaries did not attack Amsterdam cab drivers and did not loudly express her support for the population.
Silencing the protests is a path to further escalation violence
There is no room for nuance in Israeli coverage, with Maccabi supporters treated almost as martyrs, refusing to acknowledge any culpability on the part of the ultras vandalizing the Dutch capital before the match. Sensitive to anti-Semitism, European governments are not contesting the narrative of Israeli authorities, and in France, for example, demonstrations and the carrying of Palestinian flags to the Stade de France have been preemptively banned in connection with the upcoming match between the Tricolor and the Israeli national team. Paris police have been put on high alert, and authorities are promising not to allow a repeat of the Amsterdam riots. However, all this could have been avoided in another, much simpler way.
Two years ago, Russian clubs and the national team were excluded from European competitions. It is hard to imagine a situation in which Spartak Moscow fans would come to a match against Legia and chant anti-Ukrainian slogans in the streets of Warsaw. It would be even more absurd to ban pro-Ukrainian protests after attacks by Ukrainians living in Poland on visiting fans. However, an analogous situation is a fact of life for Israel and Palestine.
Instead of considering the removal of a state responsible for mass atrocities from sports competitions, Western states criminalize speaking up for Palestine - demonstrations in Amsterdam were banned before and after the fateful match. Such measures, which restrict democratic and civil liberties, instead of preventing the growth of anti-Semitism, only incite violence, channeling outrage into more violent acts of defiance. The Amsterdam riots will not be the last if Europe continues to be blind to one side's violence.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dick Schoof has announced that the perpetrators of the attacks will be punished with the full severity of the law. Very rightly so, but justice will not reach everyone. Indeed, the Nationalist government of the Netherlands has shown surprising restraint when it comes to defending its own citizens against the visiting hooligans, who have managed to return to their homeland and will not answer to the courts for their transgressions. By contrast, the failure to hold the Maccabi soccer fans wreaking havoc in Amsterdam accountable is a good allegory for how unpunished Israel remains on the international stage.
