Clashes in Amsterdam Spark Divisive Blame Game, Uncovering Deepening Divides

Friday 15 November 2024 - 14:19

Amsterdam

A week after violent clashes in Amsterdam, Tori Egherman, a Jewish writer and researcher who has lived in the city for 20 years, remains deeply upset. Reflecting on the incident in a local café, she criticized the violent actions of Israeli football fans, who came to support Maccabi Tel Aviv and vandalized Palestinian flags while chanting racist slogans. Egherman expressed concern that such incidents deepen the rift between Jewish and Muslim communities, leaving them to suffer the consequences of others' actions.

The violence, which unfolded on November 8 and 9, began when Maccabi fans, after defacing Palestinian symbols, led chants calling for the Israeli military to “win” and used dehumanizing language toward Arabs. The altercations escalated post-match, with Ajax supporters chasing Maccabi fans in a retaliatory attack, described by global leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, as anti-Semitic violence. The clashes led to several hospitalizations and numerous arrests.

Egherman acknowledged that the violence was both provoked and anti-Semitic but pointed out that incidents of discrimination against Jews are often dismissed unless they come from white Dutch individuals. Local Palestinian activist Sobhi Khatib, who has lived in Amsterdam for decades, argued that the violence was a natural consequence of ongoing institutional tensions, exacerbated by rising far-right politics in the country. He cited earlier pro-Palestinian protests that were met with force by Dutch police, suggesting that such events are symptomatic of broader societal divides.