Sports
Netanyahu Sends Planes To Assist Attacked Israeli Fans In Netherlands
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched two rescue planes to the Netherlands on Friday following reports that Israeli football fans were injured during violent incidents in Amsterdam.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens,” his office said in a statement.
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The prime minister’s office did not specify the cause of the “very violent incident against Israeli citizens,” but Dutch media outlet AT5 reported that clashes erupted Thursday night between fans during a Europa League match featuring Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Ajax.
The report also mentioned multiple fights and acts of vandalism in the city centre.
“A large number of mobile unit vehicles are present and reinforcements have also been called in,” it said.
The Israeli embassy in the United States said “hundreds” of Maccabi fans were “ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game”.
In its post on social media platform X, the embassy blamed the incident on a “mob who targeted innocent Israelis”.
A spokesperson for Dutch police told the ANP news agency that 57 individuals were arrested. Israel’s new Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, said he had asked the Dutch government to assist in safely escorting Israeli citizens from their hotels to the airport.
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Images from AT5 showed Dutch police accompanying fans back to their accommodations. On Thursday, Amsterdam police noted on social media that they were on heightened alert after several incidents, including the removal of a Palestinian flag from a building.
A pro-Palestinian demonstration protesting the Israeli football club’s visit was initially set to take place near the stadium but was moved by Amsterdam’s city council for security reasons.
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