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(AFP, Tel Aviv, 8th) “Anti-Semitic” violence broke out in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, and the Israeli authorities called on local Israeli citizens to avoid showing Israeli or Jewish symbols.
Fans of the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam clashed after a Europa League match in Amsterdam last night. Dutch and Israeli officials condemned it as ” Anti-Semitic violence. Dutch police said 62 people were arrested in connection with the case.
However, the Palestinian Football Association took a different view on the series of events in Amsterdam, insisting that the violence began with “the words and actions of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans that incited violence, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia” and reprehensible.”
The Palestinian Football Association said that Israeli fans had “attacked houses and shops flying Palestinian flags” and complained that it had provided a large amount of evidence but still had not seen “concrete action” from the world football governing body “International Football Association” (FIFA).
Israeli authorities have called on Israeli citizens in Amsterdam to stay in hotels and avoid displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols outside.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also ordered the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad to develop plans to prevent similar unrest at future sports events.
Netanyahu’s office warned fans not to attend the Tel Aviv Maccabees basketball team’s basketball game in Bologna, Italy today, saying there were “calls on social media to harm Israelis and Jews.”
