Mick Hartley

Just coming up to the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, and here we are – Israeli football fans attacked by pro-Palestine mob in Amsterdam:

Israeli and Dutch leaders have denounced antisemitic violence in Amsterdam after Israeli football fans were attacked by pro-Palestinian rioters on Thursday night, in clashes that were likened to a “pogrom”.

At least ten supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club were injured and five hospitalised, according to press reports, after violence flared following a match with Amsterdam’s Ajax team. It came on the evening of Kristallnacht commemorations across Europe, ahead of the 86th anniversary of the notorious Nazi prosecutions.

Dutch police said 62 arrests have been made after Maccabi supporters were chased and assaulted by masked men, including attacks in a hotel.

“This seems like a planned and organised pogrom,” Naftali Bennett, a former Israeli prime minister, said this morning….

Many of the fans who were attacked said the incidents revived the trauma of the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas, particularly in light of the lack of protection by the authorities.

“They were waiting in groups at every corner and the moment they identified Jews they chased them,” one Israeli told the Kan News broadcaster.

“It was Kristallnacht 2,” a second told Israel’s Channel 12 news. “We’re not safe here, we’re shut inside our hotel.”…

Another supporter told the NOS state broadcaster that the attackers were Muslims.

“There were many people, Muslims, who came after us and wanted to fight us. They shouted at us, attacked us and shouted ‘Free Palestine’,” one supporter said. “The police were there and told us to hurry to our hotel. We ended up having to run.”