Israeli hooligans prompted Amsterdam violence: City Councilor

​​​​​​​By Selman Aksunger

AMSTERDAM (AA) - A city councilor confirmed that Israeli hooligans instigated the violence in Amsterdam.

Noting that the Dutch government and the Amsterdam municipality initially described the incident as “antisemitic,” Jazie Veldhuyzen, a senior city councilor, stressed the need for a thorough and objective examination.

“On Wednesday night, Maccabi hooligans initiated to attack houses with Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian Amsterdammers. That’s when the violence started,” he noted.

On Thursday, Maccabi fans chanted a song that mocked the deaths of children in the Gaza Strip and encouraged the Israeli army to "win over Arabs," Veldhuyzen added.

He emphasized that the hooligans included former Israeli soldiers. “These are trained people and potential war criminals. Remember, they attacked pro-Palestinian civilians in Athens in March. They should have been let in Amsterdam,” he said.

According to Veldhuyzen, despite the foreseeable risks, sufficient measures were lacking. “Police only intervened to protect the Maccabi hooligans when Amsterdammers stood up to defend their homes,” he said.

Tensions erupted as Israeli fans clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators before and after an Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match. Social media videos showed Maccabi supporters removing Palestinian flags and assaulting Arab taxi drivers.

Footage from outside the stadium captured inflammatory chants by Maccabi fans, such as: “There are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left.”

The Israeli government later framed the violence as attacks on Israelis, despite the initial confrontations involving Maccabi supporters.

After Ajax’s 5-0 victory, Dutch police arrested 62 people as tensions persisted.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza that began Oct. 7, 2o23, more than 43,500 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and over 102,300 injured, according to local health authorities.

The devastation in Gaza continues under a blockade on essentials like food, clean water and medicine, with Israel facing genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice.