Violent attacks against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans following a soccer match in Amsterdam on Thursday evening left several Israelis wounded and were likely to have been a result of a pre-planned attack against Jews organized in a Telegram group, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Friday.
An alleged "Jew hunt" was announced well in advance in the messaging app Telegram, prompting rioters to travel from far outside Amsterdam to attack Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Jewish people, De Telegraaf reported.
Already on Wednesday nights, Amsterdam's city center had been the site of similar incidents, the Dutch paper noted.
Go to the full article >>Dozens of Israelis experienced a harrowing night on Thursday in Amsterdam when Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were violently attacked in the streets, attacks that are being investigated by both the Dutch and Israeli governments.
Israel will assist the Netherlands in collecting testimonies and preserving evidence from Israeli citizens to bring perpetrators to justice, the Foreign Ministry stated on Friday.
Despite evacuation flights bringing Israelis home, several fans are still stranded in Amsterdam, trying to process what happened and how to return home.
Go to the full article >>Only hours after Israeli soccer fans were hunted down and assaulted in Amsterdam following the Europa League match, Jewish and Israeli organizations began on-the-ground efforts to support victims of the attacks.
The attacks saw Israelis assaulted in the streets and passports stolen. At least 5 Israelis were hospitalized and local police arrested some 62 people with investigations continuing.
Maccabi World Union on Friday condemned the antisemitic attacks that followed a soccer match in Amsterdam on Thursday night and announced they had opened an emergency assistance center in Holland for fans who remained in the European city.
Go to the full article >>The first plane from Amsterdam with evacuated Israelis on board landed in Israel, KAN reported on Friday.
The Israel Airports Authority announced that it is prepared to receive passengers arriving from Amsterdam on evacuated flights, Ynet reported.
It also reportedly stated that there is an increase in staff members and a designated area at Ben-Gurion Airport that will provide accommodations, meals, wine, and challah for Shabbat-observant passengers, Ynet reported, citing the Israel Airports Authority.
Go to the full article >>As of 14:30 p.m. there are no more Israelis who are unaccounted for, the Foreign Ministry announced.
Amsterdam police on Friday said ten people were in custody after Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans were attacked by what Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema described as "anti-semitic hit-and-run squads".
"This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed," Halsema said at a news conference.
"Anti-semitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions," Halsema said, adding perpetrators had managed to escape a large police presence.
Go to the full article >>As of 2 p.m. on Friday, the number of missing Israelis is still three, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced.
However, according to the mayor of Amsterdam and the local police, all the wounded Israelis who were in hospitals have been released.
Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema said on Friday her services were still in the process of ascertaining the full extent of the violence that targeted Israeli soccer fans surrounding a Ajax - Maccabi Tel Aviv Europe League game.
"Despite the massive police deployment in the city, Israeli supporters were injured," Halsema said in an Instagram post, adding that the exact figure of victims and people arrested was not yet clear.
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Following events in Amsterdam, newly appointed Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, has urgently flown to the Netherlands on the request of the Prime Minister on Friday morning.
During his visit, Minister Sa'ar will meet with senior officials in the Dutch government, including his counterpart, the Dutch Foreign Minister.
Minister Sa'ar will reportedly also meet with Israelis in Amsterdam as well as with the local Jewish community.
Go to the full article >>Israel's Population and Immigration Authority will help Israelis who have lost their passports in Amsterdam following Thursday night's pogrom, allowing them to board flights using transit documents or passport photocopies, Israeli media reported on Friday morning.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel also instructed the authority to operate in emergency mode even during Shabbat.
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