Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 40 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Anti-Semitic Attacks Against Israelis in Amsterdam
This was one report from Amsterdam after a football match on Thursday:
Femke Halsema [mayor of Amsterdam] told a news conference: ‘This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed. Antisemitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions.’
The mayor declared emergency measures that would allow police to conduct extra searches; there was also a ban on protests and on face coverings.
An investigation is ongoing, but from early reports, Israeli fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football team were targeted by Palestinian supporters, primarily after the match at the Johan Cruyff Arena, where the local team had won.
In trying to piece together events, violence broke out before the match:
The first arrests took place hours before the game, as Israeli supporters gathered in the city centre.
There were then further arrests at a planned demonstration against the arrival of the Tel Aviv side’s players, and after the match as some targeted Israeli supporters.
A pro-Palestinian protest had been planned at a square near the arena, but the police stopped the rioters from reaching the arena; protestors responded to the police with fireworks. Attackers were roaming the city on scooters, hunting for Israelis.
In total, 62 people were arrested, although the groups they represented weren’t clear. Five of the Israeli fans were also taken to the hospital.
The attacks seemed to be addressed appropriately by the authorities:
A statement issued by the Dutch capital’s municipality, police and prosecution office said the night after the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv match at the Johan Cruyff Arena ‘was very turbulent with several incidents of violence aimed at Maccabi supporters.
‘In several places in the city, supporters were attacked. The police had to intervene several times, protect Israeli supporters and escort them to hotels. Despite the massive police presence in the city, Israeli supporters have been injured,’ the Amsterdam statement said.
Apparently taxi drivers were involved, too:
The mayor confirmed reports that taxi drivers had been involved in the attacks, after the head of the Netherlands’ Central Jewish Committee (CJO) said they had ‘moved in groups and cornered their targets’.
A couple of facts mentioned in passing, however, probably due to the political implications, raise some serious questions for investigators. First, which groups instigated violence prior to the game at the arena? The Israelis or the pro-Palestinian protestors? Second, was the Israeli response initiated by the personal attacks made on them, or were they baiting the local fans? For example, early trouble erupted:
Ahead of the match, there had already been some trouble and arrests in Dam Square involving Maccabi fans and pro-Palestinian protesters.
Police chief Peter Holla confirmed there had been incidents ‘on both sides’ the previous night. He said Maccabi supporters had removed a Palestinian flag from the wall of a building and set it alight, but that there had been no further trouble until the following night.
These questions need to be part of the investigation. It’s not acceptable to simply make this encounter simply about anti-Semitism if the Israelis were attacking the locals.
Fortunately, many Israelis made their way to their hotel rooms that night with the help of the police, and Benjamin Netanyahu arranged for flights for those Israelis who wanted to return to Israel.
No matter what details are revealed, the situation is ugly and frightening.
Published in Terrorism
I agree with Bill Ackman:
“It is time to completely rethink immigration policies globally. Living in the West is an incredible privilege. We should treat it as one. Open borders will kill Western civilization. Careful vetting of immigrants, standards for being part of Western society, and deportation for violating those standards are going to become essential features of immigration policies globally. “
https://x.com/BillAckman/status/1854859617194463535
It may be too late for some countries, though.
https://thespectator.com/topic/amsterdam-shameful-failure-protect-jews-soccer/
I didn’t even address that aspect, and it’s an extremely important one, David! But as you say, it may be too late in some countries. I hope we’re not too late here.
This isn’t the start of anything. Jews and Jewish institutions in continental Europe have been in danger for years. Jews, even children, have been murdered. Schools, Synagogues and other institutions require armed protection.France is particularly problematic. I stood on the steps of the heavily-fenced Synagogue in Copenhagen a few years ago. Weeks later, a Jew was shot dead where I had stood. Sadly, it seems to be a case of Muslims in, Jews out. That may be harsh on decent, peaceful Muslims, but there is insufficient condemnation of violence coming from their ranks.
Ireland, where I live, has a serious problem with hatred of Israel, which spills over into antisemitism all too often. So far this hasn’t manifested itself in physical violence. However, a few months ago, the Israeli Women’s Basketball team were advised not to play here because “their safety could not be guaranteed”.
These immigrants are just doing the racism Europeans won’t do.
Susan, you understate the event. It was not a soccer hooligans’ scuffle with a few broken noses but a full pogrom intended to harm and kill. One Jew was thrown in a canal. And the police largely stood by.
https://www.commentary.org/john-podhoretz/pogrom-2024/
https://ricochet.com/podcast/call-me-back/pogrom-in-amsterdam-with-ayaan-hirsi-ali-omer-bigger/
My wife has an Israeli netball team that couldn’t even find people to play against in practice games in the UK. Eventually, they traveled and played as an anonymous group with no logos or other indications of where they were from.
Netball?
Charles, I had no idea it was that serious in Ireland. What’s one to do?
There are reports from credible sources that a young Jewish man was beaten up in the toilet in a pub in Dublin last night. Our odious President, Israel -hater Michael D Higgins, recently said that complaints of antisemitism in Ireland were Israeli propaganda. He said, correctly at the time, that there was no violence, or threat of violence, to Jews here. Leaving aside the fact that no other form of racism or bigotry would have such a standard, his theory has just evaporated. By the way, pro-Palestinian marchers in Dublin and elsewhere here carry the flags of terrorist groups, with complete impunity. It’s getting uncomfortable.
Football is played with a round ball.
That is frightening. Are you giving any thought to leaving?
Can you imagine any of this getting better? These countries are importing more immigrants, and they aren’t Jews.
Not a chance, Susan. I don’t personally feel any fear. We have our own election campaign here at the moment and I take pleasure in discomfiting politicians who call to my door. There is no political Party that is not hostile to Israel, so I have plenty of opportunity. I’m no shrinking violet. I’m going to ask them if they want a vote from a Zionist?
Unfortunately, I can’t, Andrew. And Trump may close the border but what about the 20 million illegals who’ve already come in?
When modern basketball was created, James Naismith made two versions. One was close to this era of basketball and was for men, the other was a non-contact sport and was for women. In the US, the women’s game evolved until – by the mid-70s – it was virtually the same as the men’s game. But in the Commonwealth, Netball remained and is in some countries one of the most popular participation sports.
My wife won a silver medal at the Maccabiah Games. She was the last one not ‘on the bridge‘ when it collapsed. She is now the team manager for the Israeli national team and the coach of our local team and Israel’s youth national team. Our eldest daughter is also a coach.
From an article in The Free Press, describing the atmosphere toward Jews in Amsterdam–
This type of daily threat and security measures is barely comprehensible to me. I don’t even know where to take the comment from here. The mind branches off into the resiliency it must take to conduct life, the potential for molding thinking and attitudes that cannot connect easily with people who are not so threatened, the moral shame for humanity that would make this necessary. If this darkness has reached our shores in America — a place of peace and freedom at least in our less urban settings — how can we hold back a collective scream against this?
I was always amazed by the lack of security in American synagogues. The European synagogues and schools have been fortresses for more than a generation. Things like the Rue Copernic attack led to that fortification. Most of the US Jewry has only recently become aware of these issues. But my family has been aware since the 1970s. In the early 1970s, Jew-haters had driven at least 10 hours (my family lived 10 hours from the nearest town) to shoot at the then only identifiable Jews in the state of Idaho. Then as now, the response was to convince them that their lives would be very short should they choose to remain where they were.
At our little synagogue we had armed greeters and armed worshippers. It wasn’t without cause. Just after 9/11, locals had been convicted of terrorism offenses and had scoped out institutions for attack. The local Jewish Community Center put up bollards, hired full-time guards and had a security screening area prior to entry.
Around 2013, a man killed a doctor and his wife in the neighborhood on Rosh Hashana in the mistaken belief that they were Jewish. We were warned to be on the lookout for a follow-up attack, although he was caught fleeing the city. Now, after Pittsburgh and shootings of synagogue goers on the streets of major cities in the US, American synagogues are increasingly turning into fortresses of their own.
Thank you for your passion on this situation, Rodin. I do fear that we are not far off from similar outcomes.