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Netanyahu Dispatches Airplanes to Rescue Israeli Soccer Fans Following Violent ‘Pogrom’ Attacks in Amsterdam
Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters are guarded by police after violence targeting Israeli football fans broke out in Amsterdam overnight, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov. 8, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ami Shooman/Israel Hayom
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered planes to be dispatched to Amsterdam to bring home Israeli fans of the soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv who were violently assaulted in the city by a mob in what witnesses and leaders described as pre-planned antisemitic assaults on late Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday.
“The Prime Minister has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens. The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked,” read a statement from Netanyahu’s office. “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.”
Both former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and current Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called the violence a “pogrom.” Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X that he has been in constant contact with the Israel Police, who have been coordinating with Dutch law enforcement to “rescue the Israeli citizens, and to investigate the serious lynching incidents in the Netherlands.”
“Fans who went to see a soccer game encountered antisemitism and were attacked with unimaginable cruelty just because of their Jewishness and Israeliness. I condemn any attempt to make the victim guilty,” Ben-Gvir added. “This is not only an injury to Jews and Israelis, but a warning sign to all European countries against radical Muslim violence. Those who turn a blind eye to Islamic terrorism in the Middle East will meet it at home in Europe and the West. Today the victims were Israelis, tomorrow it will be you Europeans.”
Israel’s newly minted Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he was in contact with authorities in the Netherlands about the violence and posted a hotline for Israelis and Jews in danger.
Hundreds of Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv reported facing a wave of violence from antisemitic, anti-Israel gangs of men late Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday. They were attacked before and after Maccabi Tel Aviv lost its match against the Dutch soccer team AFC Ajax as part of the UEFA Europa League. Ajax won the match 5-0.
Numerous graphic videos circulating on social media showed multiple street fights, and Israelis being chased down the street with knives and sticks, beaten and run over by cars. In multiple incidents shared on social media, Israeli soccer fans were forced by their attackers to say “Free Palestine.” Some Israeli soccer fans reportedly barricaded themselves in buildings, shops, and other places in the city to avoid the attacks.
“So far, it is known that five people have been taken to the hospital and 62 individuals have been arrested,” Amsterdam Police said in a statement.
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, up to 20 of its nationals were injured.
Police initially said they were also investigating reports of abductions during the attacks and a potential hostage situation. However, Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that all Israelis had been contacted and accounted for, according to Ynet.
An Israeli who survived the attacks, Yarin Hay Itzhak, wrote about his experience on X and said in a Hebrew-language post that he was punched in the face and kicked in the stomach. He was in Amsterdam with two friends, one of whom “was kidnapped and bled for hours” but ultimately survived the onslaught.
“It’s unbelievable that we had to run away from thousands of Muslims on the streets of Amsterdam and get some Israelis into KFC when the police are out there in small numbers and don’t know how to handle the event,” he added. “They didn’t bring a doctor to everyone who was injured there because ‘there is no way to help you.’ The Muslims tried to run over, kidnap, beat, and murder. Everyone who is there, catch a flight and return to Israel.”
Dutch nationals of Turkish descent reportedly chased a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan after stealing his passport and then pushed him into a river, according to Ynet. Maariv reported that there was at least one attempt to kidnap an Israeli.
“They waited in groups at every corner, and as soon as they recognized Jews, they started chasing them,” one Israeli who witnessed the violence told Israel’s Kan 11 news. “Others waited near hotels and near the casino in larger groups, and there they also attacked fans. Then others drove by with cars and did not stop honking near hotels in which Israelis are staying.”
“The police were not present at the conclusion of the games, and Muslims were waiting near train stations for Israeli fans and followed them,” another Israeli told Kan 11. “The police only started to intervene after about half an hour to 45 minutes into the attacks, after the attackers threw firecrackers at people and into buildings.”
Local police escorted some of the Israeli soccer fans back to their hotels, the Netherlands’ RTL reported. The attacks took place hours after the Netherlands commemorated the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the infamous Nazi assault on the German Jewish community in 1938.
Danon posted a graphic video of the violence Thursday night on X.
“These are the true faces of the supporters of the radical terrorism we are fighting. The western world needs to wake up now!!” he wrote. “This is the time when the UN should immediately and clearly condemn the violence of the Palestinians and their supporters. The Dutch authorities must take decisive action against terrorism now.”
The Israel’s Embassy to the US also posted a video of the violence on X. “Hundreds of fans of the @MaccabiTLVFC soccer team were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against @AFCAjax,” the post read.” The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media.”
The embassy included the number for a hotline that Israelis in Amsterdam can call if they need assistance.
The post Netanyahu Dispatches Airplanes to Rescue Israeli Soccer Fans Following Violent ‘Pogrom’ Attacks in Amsterdam first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel’s Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meet in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to US President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, condemning the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressing concern about the risks of escalation, the Kremlin said.
“Vladimir Putin condemned Israel’s military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Trump, for his part, described events in the Middle East as “very alarming,” according to Ushakov. But the two leaders said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran’s nuclear program, Ushakov said.
On Ukraine, Putin told the US leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to state news agency RIA.
Trump reiterated his interest in a speedy resolution to the conflict, the Kremlin aide said.
Putin also congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.
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Sunday’s US-Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled, Oman Says
FILE PHOTO: Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi attends a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
The latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat will not take place, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on Saturday. Oman has been mediating the talks.
Albusaidi’s statement came a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against Iran, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.
A senior official of US President Donald Trump’s administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sunday’s talks had been cancelled.
Washington, however, remained committed to the negotiations and hoped “the Iranians will come to the table soon,” the official said.
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Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless’ After Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending
USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Iran said the dialogue with the US over Tehran’s nuclear program is “meaningless” after Israel’s biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, but said it is yet to decide on whether to attend planned talks on Sunday.
“The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran’s territory,” state media on Saturday quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
“It is still unclear what decision we will make on Sunday in this regard,” Baghaei was quoted as saying.
He said Israel “succeeded in influencing” the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington’s permission, accusing Washington of supporting the attack.
Iran earlier accused the US of being complicit in Israel’s attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be “wise” to negotiate over its nuclear program.
The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes.
Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
The post Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless’ After Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending first appeared on Algemeiner.com.