Amsterdam/Tel Aviv, 8 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - After violent clashes between Israeli fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the fringes of football club Maccabi Tel Aviv's match in Amsterdam, Israel is sending two planes to evacuate Israeli fans from the Dutch capital.

"The Prime Minister has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office posted on X on Friday morning.

"The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked."

The Israeli leader's office called the incident "horrifying" and demanded that the Dutch government and security forces "take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens."

Unclear how the clashes unfolded

The exact events remain unclear. The violent disturbances occurred around the Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday evening. Ajax won 5-0.

There were clashes in several locations in the centre of the Dutch capital, though it was not specified which side started the violence. Around 60 people were detained temporarily on Thursday evening, the police said.

Amsterdam TV station AT5 reported that demonstrators threw chairs at Maccabi fans. The police's mobile units reportedly shielded the Israelis and escorted them to their hotels.

There were also clashes in the the afternoon between Israeli football fans and security forces in the city centre. According to police, about a dozen people were arrested for disturbing public order and illegal possession of fireworks.

Even before the match, there were isolated altercations near the stadium in the south-east of the city, the police said. Around 200 demonstrators attempted to reach the venue, according to the police.

Swift reaction from politicians at home and abroad

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned these "unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis" on X and said he had since spoken with Netanyahu.

Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders called it a "pogrom."

"We have become the Gaza of Europe," he said, adding that Muslims with Palestinian flags were hunting down Jews.

Israel's UN ambassador also referred to the incident on X as a "pogrom."

Steffen Seibert, Germany's ambassador to Israel, condemned the incident.

"Chasing and beating up Israeli soccer fans is not anti-war protest," he wrote on X. "It is criminal and intolerable and we must all stand against it. As a European I am ashamed to see such scenes in one of our great cities."

Reaction from the United States

In New York, Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which describes itself as the world's largest anti-hate organization, demanded that the Dutch government ensure the safety of Israeli fans, apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators and apologize for the violence.

"This is exactly what 'globalize the intifada' looks like," Greenblatt wrote on X, saying there were "mobs of hate-filled people" who had attacked Israelis who came to Amsterdam to enjoy a football game.

Even New York Attorney General Letitia James chimed in on X, calling the attacks against Jews in Amsterdam "deeply disturbing and horrifying." New York state, particularly metropolitan New York City, has a large Jewish population.

"We must do everything in our power to protect Jews in America and across the world." she wrote. This antisemitism and violence must end now."

Photo: EPA