Attacks on Israeli soccer fans in the Netherlands prompts prime minister to cancel climate trip
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Saturday canceled a trip to United Nations climate talks in Azerbaijan so that he can stay in the Netherlands to deal with the fallout from assaults on fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team in Amsterdam that authorities condemned as antisemitic.
The government will discuss the Thursday night violence at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Schoof posted on X, saying that he would hold talks on tackling antisemitism on Tuesday.
Police launched a large-scale investigation after gangs of youths conducted what Amsterdam’s mayor called “hit and run” attacks on fans that were apparently inspired by calls on social media to target Jewish people. Five people were treated at hospitals and more than 60 suspects were arrested.
Amsterdam prosecutors said that four of the suspects, including two minors, remained jailed Saturday and would be arraigned next week. The prosecutors said in a statement that they expect more arrests as investigators comb through video images of the violence.
None of the arrests made so far were for violence after the match, prosecutors said.
Israeli police assisting the Dutch investigation said in a statement that officers and forensic identification experts met fans returning on nine flights from Amsterdam.
“Among them were over 170 witnesses and more than 230 victims, and forensic evidence has been collected from dozens of them,” the statement said, adding that they also had gathered videos of violent incidents in the Dutch capital.
In addition to the police investigation and an independent inquiry announced by Amsterdam’s mayor, Dutch Justice and Security Minister David van Weel said in a letter to lawmakers that the government is investigating whether warnings of possible violence from Israel were overlooked in the lead up to the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rushed to the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel’s help in the police investigation. He met Saturday with Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp and with Schoof.
Schoof said on X that he told Saar, “that the Dutch government is doing everything it can to ensure that the Jewish community in our country feels safe.”
In a statement released after meeting, Saar said that he told Schoof that the attacks on Jews and Israelis “and the demand by their attackers they present passports to prove their identity, were reminiscent of dark periods in history. He stressed that Israel could not accept the persecution of Jews and Israelis on European soil.”