Antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans bring shame on Amsterdam, mayor says

CNN — Israeli soccer fans were beaten and injured in violent clashes in Amsterdam overnight, which Dutch authorities condemned Friday as antisemitic.

Dutch police said they had launched a major investigation into multiple incidents following the Europa League soccer game Thursday night between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch side Ajax.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said criminals on scooters searched the city in search of Maccabi supporters in “hit-and-run” attacks. “This is a terrible moment for our city. … I am very ashamed of the behavior that was shown last night,” she said in a Friday news conference.Amsterdam authorities said Friday morning that five injured Israeli soccer fans have since been released from the hospital, and 20 to 30 other people were lightly injured. In total, 63 individuals were arrested and 10 remain in custody, police said.

Tensions had been rising in the lead up to Thursday night’s match with multiple social media videos showing Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slurs, praising Israeli military attacks in Gaza and yelling “f**k the Arabs.” Other videos apparently filmed in Amsterdam show men ripping Palestinian flags off buildings. It is unclear when those videos were filmed.

Hundreds of Maccabi fans “were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam,” the Israeli embassy to the United States said on social media platform X, sharing video of the violence.

One video shows a man being kicked while he lies on the ground, while another video shows a man being hit by a man yelling “free Palestine” and “for the children, motherf***er.” CNN has not yet been able to verify those videos.

Police have said the atmosphere at the stadium was relatively calm and fans left without incident after Ajax won the game 5-0, but during the night various clashes in the city center were reported.

The mayor of Amsterdam added, “There can be tensions there are many demonstrations and protests and we are always prepared for them, and of course, they are related to the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing war. But what happened last night wasn’t a protest. … It was crime.”

“There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night by rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them,” local authorities in Amsterdam said Friday, adding that police intervened several times to protect fans and escort them to hotels.

Police earlier said they had boosted their presence in the city center on Wednesday night, citing “tensions” in several areas, one day ahead of the game.

Officers “prevented a confrontation between a group of taxi drivers and a group of visitors who came from the adjacent casino” on Wednesday, the police said in a statement on X, noting another incident, in which, a Palestinian flag was torn down in Amsterdam’s center by unknown perpetrators.

On Thursday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to reach the Johan Cruyff stadium, though the city had forbidden them to protest there, Reuters reported.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X he was in touch with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.”

“This is completely unacceptable. I am in close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken to (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu by phone to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted,” he said, adding, “The situation in Amsterdam is now calm once more.”

Netanyahu emphasized in a call with Schoof “the supreme importance” of the Dutch government ensuring the safety of all Israelis in the Netherlands, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.

In a statement from his office, Netanyahu urged Dutch authorities to “act firmly and quickly against the rioters and ensure the peace of our citizens.” He initially said he was ordering “rescue planes” to assist Israeli citizens, but his office later said it would focus on commercial flight solutions to safely return citizens.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is traveling to the Netherlands in the wake of the attacks, which he condemned as “barbaric and antisemitic” and called them “a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that it “condemns anti-Arab chants by Israelis and attacks on the symbolism of the Palestinian flag in Amsterdam.” It also called on the Dutch government to “protect Palestinians and Arabs in the Netherlands.”

The Israeli foreign ministry is reviewing security for Israelis living abroad and for all future Israeli team sporting events in Europe, including enhancing cooperation with local authorities, an Israeli official told CNN.

Following the incident, some people in France have called for next week’s match between the French and Israeli national soccer teams to be relocated.

However, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Friday: “France is not backing down, as this would be tantamount to abdicating in the face of threats of violence and antisemitism.” Security arrangements are being put in place for the match at the Stade de France near Paris, he added.

Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body UEFA announced Monday that a Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Turkish football team Beşiktaş in late November will be moved to a neutral venue, following a decision by Turkish authorities.

This story and headline have been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Matthew Chance and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report.