Attacks on Israeli fans in the Netherlands prompt prime minister to cancel climate talks trip

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof canceled a trip to the United Nations climate talks in Azerbaijan on Saturday so he could stay in the Netherlands to deal with the fallout from attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv football team fans in Amsterdam that officials condemned. antisemitic

In his post on X, Schoof said that the government will discuss Thursday night’s violence at the Cabinet meeting on Monday and hold talks on combating antisemitism on Tuesday.

Police have launched a major investigation after gangs of teenagers carried out what the mayor of Amsterdam called “hit-and-run” attacks on fans apparently inspired by calls on social media to target Jews. While five people were treated in hospitals, more than 60 suspects were detained. Amsterdam police said four of the suspects remained in jail on Saturday.

In addition to the police investigation and the independent investigation announced by Amsterdam’s mayor, Dutch Justice and Security Minister David van Weel said in a letter to MPs that the government was investigating whether warnings of possible violence from Israel on the road to Europe were ignored. League match between Ajax and Maccabi.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar went to the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel assistance in the police investigation. He met with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp on Saturday.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said that the Dutch counter-terrorism watchdog reported before the match that there was no “concrete threat” to Israeli fans and that the match was not considered high risk.

Despite this, Amsterdam authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside the Johan Cruyff Arena, where the match was played on Thursday night. The video also shows a large crowd of Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans on their way to the match. Halsema said the youths on scooters then began searching for Israeli supporters on foot, punching and kicking them, and then quickly running away to escape hundreds of police officers stationed in various parts of the city.

Schoof returned early from the European Union summit in Hungary and met with representatives of the Jewish community in the Netherlands on Friday night.

“It was a moving conversation about the sadness and uncertainty in the Jewish community. Every day they experience the consequences of increasing antisemitism in the Netherlands,” Schoof told X.

A ban on demonstrations was in place throughout Amsterdam over the weekend, and there was a World War II building that had a large Jewish community and was hidden from the Nazis. Security has been increased at Jewish sites in the city, which is home to World War II Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family. invaders.