On November 7th, the Europa League football match between the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam led to violent clashes between the Israeli football supporters and Pro-Palestinian activists. These confrontations escalated into police violence, arrests, and eventually resulted in a protest ban on the Dam Square of Amsterdam. In the days that followed, different accounts of the events emerged, which provoked worldwide controversy. Originally, activists were blamed for the unrest, until new videos came out on social media showcasing how Israeli football supporters were at the source of the tensions.
According to Amsterdam Councilman Jazie Veldhuyzen, violence was instigated by the football fans a few days prior to the match. Israeli supporters were filmed on X tearing down a Palestinian flag from a building and shouting anti-Arab chants (“Let the IDF [Israeli army] win and f*** the Arabs”). These repeated incidents led to tensions between football fans and city residents, with a Pro-Palestinian march held in protest of the fans’ behaviour. After the match, won 5-0 by Ajax, violence escalated and clashes erupted, which resulted in injuries on both sides, 62 arrests, and the deployment of 600 police officers. As a consequence, a temporary demonstration ban was enacted by the Dutch government on the Dam Square of Amsterdam over the weekend. Regardless, a few hundred activists still marched in that area on Sunday, to protest the ban and the actions of the Israeli hooligans. Altercations with the police followed as tensions escalated and demonstrators refused to leave, and 281 people were arrested and dropped off at the outskirts of the city by bus. Videos came out on social media showcasing police violence against the protestors, and the Amsterdam police announced the claims would be investigated. These riots were also the reason given by the Utrecht municipality for the cancellation of the national budget cuts protest on the following Thursday.
In response to the events of Thursday, Dutch Prime Minister Schoof condemned the “anti-semitic violence”, blaming the events on “a specific group of youngsters, with a migration background”. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu described a “very violent incident against Israeli citizens”, and sent on Friday two military airplanes to bring the football fans back home. The mayor of Amsterdam described “hit-and-run” attacks on Israeli football fans, which, according to her, “brings back the memory of pogroms.” She has since then announced regretting using the word ‘pogrom’, as it is highly controversial for its historical and political heritage. The polarisation of this issue in the Dutch political scene pushed Moroccan-born Nora Achahbar to resign from her position as state secretary following racist remarks after the events.
Many raised criticism over the immediate finger-pointing and negative framing of the people initially blamed for the incident, who were categorised as ‘Moroccans’ instead of ‘Dutch’ or ‘Amsterdammers’ — although there was little certainty of their nationality at the time.
The coverage of the incident by several popular media companies also sparked controversy, such as SkyNews, who edited their original video for a diluted version which downplayed the role of Maccabi supporters in the unrest.
Professor Maurits Berger points out: “I find it problematic that anger against Israel or Israeli football hooligans is immediately placed in a framework of anti-Semitism.” This tendency of the West raises wider concerns about the perceived illegitimacy of Palestinian resistance, and over the extent to which the West will support Israel’s actions, even if their own citizens are harmed in the process. Does the guilt of the Soah grant Israelis unconditional immunity for their behaviour, whether at a group level or national level?
Instead, many argue that the question ought to be looked at from a different angle: “[...] why are Israeli clubs like Maccabi Tel Aviv permitted to compete on international stages while Israel is committing acts of genocide, occupation, and dispossession of Palestinians?”, asks Dima Said from Ramallah (West Bank, Palestine). Indeed, as a comparison, Russian athletes have been banned from competing under their flag at international sports events, such as the Paris Olympics over the summer, since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In light of the recently issued arrest warrant against Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, why are Israeli sports teams not being given the same treatment?
The question of the role of international sports events in global conflicts is, now more than ever, a burning question: should sports remain neutral? Under which circumstances is banning a country from participating in a sporting event legitimate?
While some may argue that, in the face of all these uncertainties, it is best for sports to remain neutral, the truth is that there is no sphere of society that can claim to be truly apolitical — and the events of November in Amsterdam are a striking reminder of that.
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