Israeli Football Fans Targeted in Violent Attacks in Amsterdam
Israeli football fans in Amsterdam faced a series of violent assaults by groups of young men, leaving several with serious injuries. The incidents, which reportedly involved “hit-and-run” tactics by attackers on scooters, targeted supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv, who were in the city for a football match.
One of the victims, 24-year-old Adi Reuben, described the harrowing experience. “They started to mess with me and I realised I had to run, but it was dark and I didn’t know where to go. I fell to the floor and 10 people were kicking me,” he told the BBC. “They were shouting ‘Jewish, Jewish, IDF, IDF’,” referring to the Israeli Defence Forces. Reuben sustained a broken nose in the attack and was left bleeding heavily.
In another incident, Gal Binyanmin Tshuva, 29, recounted a similar attack outside a casino. “We faced around 20 people who ran towards us,” Tshuva explained. “They asked me where I was from, and I said Greece, but they didn’t believe me. When I couldn’t show my passport, they pushed me down and kicked my face.” Tshuva lost two teeth as a result.
Several Jewish fans, including British nationals, also reported being targeted. After intervening to help an Israeli man being assaulted, one of the British fans, Aaron, was punched and left with a swollen eye and broken glasses. “They said, ‘You helped the Jew,’ and hit me,” he said.
Amid the violence, Esther Voet, editor-in-chief of a Dutch Jewish newspaper, offered shelter to distressed Israeli fans. “I told them this is a Jewish home and you are safe here,” Voet shared with Israeli broadcaster Kann.
Amsterdam police confirmed “serious abuses” during the incidents, with police chief Peter Holla noting the difficulty in preventing attacks, despite a significant police presence. The force eventually gathered Maccabi fans together, offering them protection and transporting them out of the area by bus.
The attacks follow tensions earlier in the week, with reports of Maccabi fans vandalising a taxi and burning a Palestinian flag. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned the violence, stating, “There is no excuse for what happened.” FCT Residents Urge Tinubu to Halt Wike’s Demolition Plans
