A mob of pro-Palestinian Muslims attacked Israelies in Amsterdam Thursday night following a soccer match. At the time, a mob of Muslim immigrants chased down Israelis armed with knives and clubs as they left after the UEFA Europa League match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv. The attack is being described as a pogrom is defined as an organized massacre of an ethnic group like the Nazis carried out against the Jews in the 1930s, CBN News reports. The incident also comes just days before the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the "Night of Broken Glass," when rioting Germans and Austrians destroyed more than 200 synagogues and 7,000 Jewish-owned businesses.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he considers with "utmost gravity" the Thursday night's attack against Israeli citizens and requested that security be increased for the Dutch Jewish community. He spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who posted on X, calling the attack "completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis."
Have been following the news from Amsterdam and am horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens. This is completely unacceptable. I am in close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken to @IsraeliPM Netanyahu by phone to stress that the perpetrators will…
— Dick Schoof (@MinPres) November 8, 2024
Newly-appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is traveling to The Netherlands to deal with the crisis. His deputy, Sharen Haskell, noted that many Israelis were hospitalized, and she challenged The Netherlands and Europe to take action.
"I call on the Dutch government to arrest and prosecute all those involved," Haskell stated. "We have information leading to those radical Islamists who went hunting for Jews. I call on Europe and the world to act more aggressively to combat antisemitism. This is your responsibility. Israeli Jews being attacked by a violent mob in the heart of Europe is something no one should stand. If we fail to act, it will only get worse."
According to the Jerusalem Post, ten people were taken into custody by Amsterdam police after the Israelis were attacked by what Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema described as "antisemitic hit-and-run squads."
"This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed," Halsema said at a news conference.
"Antisemitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city in hit-and-run actions," Halsema said, adding that perpetrators managed to escape police.
On Friday, the first plane from Amsterdam with evacuated Israelis on board landed in Israel. As part of the investigation between the Israel Police and the Dutch Police, police investigators and forensic specialists arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport to meet Israelis for forensic documentation and collect initial details, the Israel Police announced on Friday afternoon.
WATCH: Violence Against Israelis | News on The 700 Club - November 8, 2024
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.