By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

What Happened in Amsterdam

Where once in Amsterdam Anne Frank had to hide in an attic to survive it comes as a surprise how much antisemitism today is still alive in Amsterdam when Antisemitic attacks prompted emergency flights for Israeli Soccer Fans to escape the violence they were faced with in Amsterdam.

Mobs of assailants, including men on scooters, chased Israeli soccer fans through the streets of Amsterdam after a match in the capital’s main stadium, Dutch authorities said Friday, beating them in attacks.

The violence, which Dutch and Israeli officials condemned as antisemitic, sent five people to the hospital, police said. Authorities arrested dozens more, they added, and 10 suspects remained in custody late Friday.

Mayor Femke Halsema said at a news conference Friday that there was “no excuse” for the attacks on Israeli spectators, describing them as “unbearable.” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof also criticized what he said were the completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis.

Israel is doing “everything possible to ensure the safety and security” of its citizens who were attacked and to return them home, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. El Al, Israel’s national carrier, said it would operate a free-of-charge rescue flight from Amsterdam, while the Foreign Ministry urged Israelis to stay inside their hotels until authorities could ensure their safe passage to the airport.

The Israeli military also said it was banning all of its personnel from visiting the Netherlands until further notice.

 

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