Several Israeli fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team sustained minor injuries in Amsterdam overnight Wednesday during riots that broke out ahead of Thursday’s game against Ajax, local media reported.
Some of the Maccabi fans told Israel’s Mako outlet that the confrontations started when objects were hurled at them after they had left a local pub. According to the report, the Israelis responded in self-defense.
During hours-long riots that ensued, a group of Israelis took a Palestinian flag down from a residential building in central Amsterdam, with some chanting “f**k Palestine,” video footage posted to X showed.
Another clip showed what was said to be a Maccabi supporter who was pushed into an Amsterdam canal and forced to say “free Palestine.”
Amsterdam police said they had upped their presence in the city last night “following signals that there were tensions in several places in the center, possibly as a result of the upcoming match between Ajax and the Israeli club Maccabi, and AZ against the Turkish club Fenerbahçe.
“On Rokin [Street], a Palestinian flag was pulled from a house front by currently unknown individuals. On Max Euwe Square, police prevented a confrontation between a group of taxi drivers and a group of visitors who emerged from the adjacent casino,” the statement continued.
Police said that they had taken steps to guarantee a “safe and orderly” match, particularly in light of an anti-Israel rally planned ahead of Thursday’s game, which is scheduled for 10 p.m. at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
The protest, held under the slogan “No Zionists In UEFA/FIFA,” was moved away from the arena by local authorities after a group of Ajax hooligans announced they would not tolerate political statements inside or outside the stadium and threatened to “intervene where necessary.”
“In the Johan Cruijff Arena, it is about our club and our city, and we strive for togetherness. Therefore, we do not want to see flags from conflict zones and other political expressions during the Europa League match between our very own Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv FC,” they said.
Responding to Wednesday evening’s unrest, Ismail el Abassi, a Dutch lawmaker for the Islamist DENK Party, tweeted that “Netanyahu’s militias terrorized Amsterdam’s city center last night,” urging police to “arrest and prosecute this scum as soon as possible.”
Ajax is currently in fourth place in the Europa League standing, while Maccabi Tel Aviv lost their last three matches in all competitions.
Ajax’s players and supporters have long been affectionately known as “the Jews” due to the team’s large Jewish support and the rich Jewish history of The Netherlands’ capital city.
