Call it a lynch, pogrom or Chrystallnacht revisited, but its hard to believe this occurring in 2024: Thousands of Israelis chased down, violently beaten, stabbed and run over in Amsterdam after a soccer game on Thursday night/Friday morning.
Children, women, teens and men were knocked the the ground, kicked and punched repeatedly. Israelis were barred access to hotels and other buildings where they sought refuge. Apparently cab drivers also reported the locations of Israelis as well.
In what appears to be a pre-planned attack after the Ajax vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv game on Thursday night, thousands of perpetrators waited for Israelis exiting a soccer match. The attackers came from many directions and launched a violent attack chasing Israelis down in the streets, beating and robbing them and possibly stabbing some as well. Details are still coming to light as to the extent of injuries and exactly who perpetrated this.
Presumably the attackers were Muslim (based on names listed in their social media accounts) and their comments as well. In videos you can hear the attackers saying, “This is for the children… you kill children,” and “Free Palestine.”
Israel launched an emergency evacuation of Israelis in Holland and created a hotline to call for those in danger.
Israeli officials and some Dutch politicians are blaming a Muslim mob for carrying out this attack which appears to be pre-planned.
“The antisemitic pogrom in Amsterdam is an unimaginable event. This incident is one of the extremes that have occurred recently and echoes the events of Kristallnacht, which took place exactly 80 years ago. I spoke with the ambassador and the embassy staff, and rescue and medical teams are on their way to the Netherlands,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel Sharren Haskel said. “Radical Islam is spreading terror and hatred everywhere. Europe is no longer safe for Jews, and if it will not wake up, it will soon no longer be safe for anyone.”
Nearly 3,000 Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were at the game.
Here are some statements:
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Tomorrow, 86 years ago, was Kristallnacht, when Jews on European soil were attacked for being Jews. This has now recurred. This was marked yesterday in the streets of Amsterdam. This is what happened. There is only one difference: The State of the Jews has arisen. We need to deal with it. First of all, this puts us and them, the free countries and the Netherlands, in danger. This endangers not only us but also them. But first of all we need to deal with the danger to us. We cannot accept this.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog: “We see with horror this morning, the shocking images and videos that since October 7th, we had hoped never to see again: an antisemitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a serious incident, a warning sign for any country that wishes to uphold the values of freedom. I give my full support to the cooperation now taking place between the governments, and trust that the authorities in the Netherlands will act immediately and take all necessary measures to protect, locate, and rescue all Israelis and Jews under attack, and to eradicate the violence against Jewish and Israeli citizens by all required means.”
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands told Herzog, “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again.” He conveyed profound outrage and promised that his government would do everything possible to ensure the safety of visitors and facilitate their safe return to Israel.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the incidents and committed that his government was doing everything possible to protect Israelis and ensure their safe return home.
Haskel: “I call on Europe and the world to act more aggressively to combat antisemitism. This is your responsibility. Israeli Jews being attacked by a violent mob in the heart of Europe is something no one should stand. If we fail to act, it will only get worse.”
Yaakov Hagoel, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization: “Once again, we are forced to witness that the world has failed to learn from the dark lessons of history, as Jewish blood is once again shed with impunity. I call, in the strongest and most unequivocal terms, on the leaders of the world: the blood of our brothers and sisters cries out from the ground. The responsibility for the safety of Jews in your countries is yours alone. This is not only a moral duty, but a legal one, equal to that of uncompromisingly protecting any other citizen. Do not allow the horrors of the past to return. The time for decisive and immediate action to eliminate this scourge of antisemitism is now.”