Tensions Flare in Amsterdam: Antisemitic Attacks on Israeli Fans at Soccer Match

Following antisemitic incidents in Amsterdam, Israeli planes were dispatched to repatriate soccer fans amid rising tensions. Clashes erupted after a Europa League match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv, traditionally identified as a Jewish club. Dutch officials pledged to address the violence amid heightened security and escalating antisemitic sentiments across the Netherlands.

In a tense aftermath of antisemitic violence, Israel dispatched commercial planes to the Netherlands on Friday to ferry home Israeli soccer fans. The move followed Thursday night's disturbing incidents in Amsterdam, where officials reported antisemitic attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, compounded by provocative chants from some Israeli fans.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema indicated that Maccabi fans were targeted with fireworks and abuse, prompting riot police intervention to escort them safely to hotels. Meanwhile, security was amped up in a city still reeling from memories of Kristallnacht, which Dutch citizens commemorated the same night.

The attacks come amid a troubling surge of antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands since Israel's military operations in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited a 'very violent incident' as the catalyst for sending aid. The city banned a planned pro-Palestinian protest, yet tensions flared, highlighting ongoing global unrest tied to the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)