Politics Israeli fans leave Amsterdam on special flights
Following the attacks by pro-Palestinian rioters in Amsterdam, many Israeli football fans took special flights home. The Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing the Israeli embassy in The Hague, that Israeli companies had initially allowed four flights on Saturday, although they normally observe the traditional Jewish Sabbath rest from Friday to Saturday evening.
09.11.2024, 13:45
SDA
A total of around 3,000 supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv club could return home from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Flights are also planned for Sunday.
The attacks on the Israelis on the sidelines of a Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam on Friday night caused international horror and outrage. According to the authorities, the predominantly young perpetrators actively and deliberately targeted Israelis.
According to the authorities, 20 to 30 people were injured in the attacks, most of them slightly. Five of them were treated in hospitals but released on Friday.
The public prosecutor's office stated that suspected perpetrators would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. A total of 63 people were initially arrested. Most of them have since been released, with only four suspects still in police custody on Saturday. Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema announced strict security measures to protect Jews in Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, the Dutch government announced an investigation into whether warnings of attacks were not taken seriously enough. According to ANP, Justice Minister David van Weel informed parliament in a letter that the National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and Security (NCTV) had "drawn attention" to the possible consequences of the coincidence of the football match and the commemoration of the pogrom night of November 9, 1938.
The minister also stated that it was being investigated whether warning signals from Israel had been overlooked or ignored. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said that he wanted to discuss this with NCTV and the secret services before making a statement.
The football match had been classified as a high-risk match in view of the political tensions in the Middle East. Around 800 officers were deployed. The police pointed out that fans of the Israeli club had also rioted and provoked. They had burned Palestinian flags and shouted insulting slogans. However, the mayor emphasized that this was in no way an excuse for the anti-Semitic attacks.
