Friday, November 22, 2024

Jews kicked, beaten and humiliated: How a night of ‘pogrom’ in Amsterdam unfolded

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One unconscious man is kicked in the back. Another pleads for mercy in a narrow alleyway before being punched in the head. And a third Israeli citizen is made to shout “Free Palestine” after jumping into a canal to save himself.

Amsterdam is reeling from what has been called a “Jew hunt” and “pogrom” on its streets that has rekindled memories of Europe’s darkest hours.

After Maccabi Tel Aviv had played a Europa League match against Ajax on Thursday night, Israeli fans were chased with knives, humiliated and assaulted across the Dutch capital.

“I am ashamed,” said Femke Halsema, the mayor of Amsterdam, as she described hit-and-run attacks on the Israeli fans, announcing a temporary ban on protests.

“Boys on scooters criss-crossed the city looking for Israeli football fans. It was a hit and run. I understand very well that this brings back memories of pogroms.”

“Our city has been deeply damaged. Jewish culture has been deeply threatened. This is an outburst of anti-Semitism that I hope to never see again.”

On Friday, King Willem-Alexander said the Netherlands had failed Jewish people like the country had done “during World War Two”.

One video posted on social media shows a man who appears totally unconscious on the street as he is repeatedly kicked in the foetal position.

In another, a young Israeli supporter seeking to flee from pro-Palestinians in a narrow alley ends up crouching on the floor. He begs for mercy but they knock him out with a punch to the head as screams erupt.

In a third, a man wearing yellow crouched on the floor is kicked as his assailants shout: “It’s for the children, motherf—–.”

“Please take all my money,” he responds in desperation. They shout: “Free Palestine now.” He parrots the same phrase. “It’s for the children,” his assailant bellows as blows rain down.

A separate clip shows an apparent Israeli supporter swimming in a canal apparently in a last-ditch attempt to escape.

As he desperately splashes around in the dark water, his pursuer shouts out: “‘Say ‘Free Palestine’ and we’ll let you go,” and hurls an anti-Semitic slur in Dutch meaning “cancer Jew”.

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