An Amsterdam court on Tuesday sentenced a Palestinian to six months in prison for public violence and attempted aggravated assault during the November 2024 pogrom against Israelis in the Dutch capital.
The man, identified only as Mahmoud A. by local media in keeping with privacy laws, faced the gravest charges among those tried for the attacks.
In security camera footage shown in court, Mahmoud A. could be seen pushing a visiting supporter of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club against a fence, causing him to fall, and then kicking his victim repeatedly in the head.
While prosecutors had also charged the 22-year-old Palestinian with attempted manslaughter, the judges ruled there was insufficient evidence, noting the absence of life-threatening injuries.
In addition to the jail term, Mahmoud A. was ordered to pay his Israeli victim €2,000 ($2,140) in damages. He will only serve two months, with four months already credited for time spent in pre-trial detention.
Prosecutors had sought a 10-month term, while the victim had requested that the court award him €5,000 ($5,865) in damages.
Originally from the southern Gaza Strip, Mahmoud A. told the court that he fled to the Netherlands via Lebanon and applied for asylum earlier in 2024. He has been diagnosed with trauma and intellectual disability, leading the court to rule that his responsibility was diminished.
A. claimed that he panicked during the November clashes, describing the situation as a “re-experiencing of violent events” from the past, including an alleged Israeli bombing that killed his brother.
His lawyer told the local Het Parool outlet that A. would likely appeal.
Mahmoud A.'s victim attended the proceedings by video link two weeks ago, telling the judges he felt extreme fear during the night of Nov. 7–8.
“I was afraid I would not survive,” he recalled. “The thought that I was hunted down and beaten because I am Israeli hurts.” The Israeli said that he continues to suffer from flashbacks and sleep issues since.
On Nov. 7-8, 2024, hundreds of Dutch Muslims participated in a series of assaults on Israelis visiting the country’s capital for a soccer match. In coordinating the attacks on messaging platforms, several perpetrators referred to the action as a “Jew hunt” and used antisemitic rhetoric.
Europe’s largest coordinated pogrom against Jews since the Holocaust, the incident shocked the Dutch Jewish community and Israeli officials.
Following the Amsterdam pogrom, the Israeli government’s National Center for Combating Antisemitism revealed ties between the Dutch attackers and Hamas, including specific individuals who allegedly served as intermediaries with the Gaza terrorist organization.
Additional groups and individuals involved in the assault were said to be linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terror organization that has significant support and a presence in Europe.
