An Amsterdam court has convicted five individuals for assaulting Israeli football fans following a match.
The convictions stem from November 7th clashes between Dutch and Israeli supporters after an Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv game. These incidents, which occurred amid heightened anti-Israeli sentiment related to the Gaza conflict, involved attackers displaying Palestinian flags and using antisemitic slurs.
Four of the five Dutch nationals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to six months, while the fifth received a 100-hour community service order. The court’s decision was based on video evidence showing attacks on Maccabi fans.
However, the court also acknowledged video evidence depicting Israeli fans removing Palestinian flags, shouting anti-Arab slogans, and damaging taxis.
While accounts of the events leading to the violence differ, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu termed the attacks on Israeli fans a “horrific antisemitic incident,” and President Isaac Herzog labelled them “an antisemitic pogrom.”
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema attributed the unrest to “a toxic mix of antisemitism, football hooliganism, and anger over the Israel-Palestine conflict and other Middle Eastern issues.”
Halsema later expressed regret over using the term “pogrom,” stating that it had become highly politicized and used for propaganda, particularly to target Dutch Muslims.