Social media footage has exposed Israeli Maccabi hooligans running riot through Amsterdam’s streets, chanting vile songs about Palestinian children and ripping down flags before the violent clashes grabbed headlines.
While mainstream media focused on Israeli fans being attacked, social media users accused journalists and politicians of covering up how the Maccabi yobs stirred up trouble in the beginning.
So what exactly happened?
The violence started ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 5-0 thrashing by Ajax in a Europa League match.
The rightwing Mail Online even acknowledged the Israeli fans’ role in sparking the chaos in one of its first articles on the violence.
“Israeli football hooligans” tore down Palestinian flags and “marched through Amsterdam in a Wednesday night of chaos,” it said.
The article revealed how videos showed “dozens of hooded figures dressed fully in black cheering and chanting ‘f*** you Palestine.’”
“Footage also shows one thug thumping a taxi with crowbar before the driver takes off, while there have been reported clashes between the visiting hooligans and cabbies,” added Mail Online, saying that clips shared by a “reliable” pro-hooligan page show “bust-ups purported to be between Maccabi fans and a group of Moroccan Ajax supporters.”
The paper added that pro-Palestinian activists then “retaliated against the Maccabi Tel Aviv troublemakers on Wednesday night.”
This narrative is backed by clips and comments shared on social media of Maccabi fans chanting vile anti-Arab slogans and causing mayhem throughout Amsterdam.
“No schools in Gaza because there are no children left”
The yobs’ sickening chants included “no schools in Gaza because there are no children left” and “Let the IDF win to f**k the Arabs.”
Those hate-filled chants were brazenly repeated by the thugs after they were whisked home on two specially chartered ‘rescue flights’ to Tel Aviv following the game.
The rampage included attacks on Moroccan cabbies and the tearing down of Palestinian flags from local homes and businesses. They even disrupted the minute’s silence for Valencia’s flood victims – a show of disrespect many linked to Spain’s criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Local taxi drivers then banded together to confront the troublemakers, with police confirming they had to step in to prevent a clash between “a group of taxi drivers and a group of visitors who came from the adjacent casino.”
The chronology of what happened on Wednesday is backed up by the police. On its website, it said the following happened (translated using Google):
- City centre: here and there Maccabi supporters, Fenerbahce supporters and Ajax fans, with minor scuffles on both sides.
- Maccabi supporters remove a flag from the facade of Rokin. They vandalise a taxi.
- A Palestinian flag is set on fire on Dam Square.
- An online call for taxi drivers to mobilise appears
- The taxi drivers head towards the Holland Casino where 400 Israeli supporters are present at that moment
- Police safely escorted supporters out of the casino.
- Prevent major confrontations between groups using order buses.
- There were some minor riots around the casino.
Sky News deletes report exposing Maccabi rampage
The trouble caused by the hooligans on Wednesday spilled over to match day.
Police said at 1pm, a large group of Maccabi supporters gathered at Dam Square on Thursday and there were clashes with opponents.
“The night after the football match between Ajax – Maccabi Tel Aviv was very turbulent with several incidents of violence aimed at Maccabi supporters,” police added.
Sky News was praised for pointing out the role of Maccabi hooligans but then suddenly pulled the news piece, much to the ire of those on social media.
The mainstream media painted a wildly different picture to what was shared on social media. They repeated claims of ‘pogroms’ and ‘anti-semitism’ made by Israeli politicians who are currently championing a genocide in Gaza. Some outlets even spread rumours about hostages and missing persons – claims police were forced to publicly debunk.
“The police are aware of reports about a possible hostage situation and missing persons, but currently have no confirmation that this has actually happened,” said the police on its live blog. “A number of people who were reported missing have now been found.”
Far-right Dutch populist Geert Wilders — himself convicted of inciting discrimination and a darling of Israeli politicians — waded into the debate with Islamophobic comments. He talked about deporting “scum” and stripping citizenship from “criminal Muslims.”
Press and politicians cherry-picking coverage
Critics say the press and politicians cherry-picked what happened, conveniently ignoring how Maccabi’s hooligans sparked the chaos in the first place.
Senior Amsterdam councillor Jazie Veldhuyzen called for a thorough and objective examination.
“On Wednesday night, Maccabi hooligans initiated to attack houses with Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian Amsterdammers. That’s when the violence started,” he said, according to Anadolu Agency.
He said the hooligans included former Israeli soldiers. “These are trained people and potential war criminals. Remember, they attacked pro-Palestinian civilians in Athens in March. They should have been let in Amsterdam.”
Maccabi’s notorious ultras have a dark history of racist abuse, with many pointing to a pattern of hate-filled behaviour from their hardcore supporters.
A few months ago in Greece, a man carrying a Palestinian flag was taken to hospital after getting ambushed by Maccabi hooligans.
Image source: https://www.politie.nl/
