Dutch king says his nation failed Jewish community during football fan attacks – like during Second World War

The king of the Netherlands has said his nation “failed” the Jewish community as it did “during the Second World War” over Israeli football fans being attacked in Amsterdam.

Speaking to Isaac Herzog, Israel’s president, King Willem-Alexander expressed “deep horror and shock”. Mr Herzog quoted him as saying: “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during the Second World War” – a reference to Nazi occupation – “and last night we failed again”.

Willem-Alexander also said: "We cannot turn a blind eye to antisemitic behaviour in our streets" — adding that history "has taught us how intimidation goes from bad to worse, with horrific consequences".

"Jews must feel safe in the Netherlands, everywhere and at all times. We put our arms around them and will not let them go,” he said.

Amsterdam’s mayor condemned the “hit and run attacks” on Israeli football fans as an “explosion of antisemitism” and a “dark day”.

A major investigation has been ordered after up to 30 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were injured, including five who were taken to hospital, in attacks following the club’s Europa League match with Ajax on Thursday night. At least 62 people were arrested by police, with 10 still in custody on Friday afternoon.

At a press conference, mayor Femke Halsema said: “Amsterdam is looking back on a black night and today is still a dark day. Antisemitic, hateful rioters and criminals yesterday and yesterday night have attacked Jewish visitors to our city.”

She added: “Boys on scooters were driving through the town looking for Maccabi supporters. It was hit and run. Football fans were attacked and then rioters took off again, running away from the police forces who were there in great numbers.”

The mayor confirmed reports that taxi drivers had been involved in the attacks, after Chanan Hertzberger, the chair of the Central Jewish Council in the Netherlands, said police were investigating their “apparent role” in leaving “harried football fans... no way to get to safety”. He added that the attackers “moved in groups and cornered their targets”.

One supporter told told Dutch state broadcaster NOS: “We don’t feel safe... You come to the game to have fun, but I can’t believe what happened here. I come here for a holiday, but it looked like a war zone.”

Security measures were increased in the city, where hundreds gathered on Thursday to remember Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogrom against Jews across Germany on 9 to 10 November 1938.

Antisemitic incidents have surged in the Netherlands since Israel launched its assault on Gaza after the terror attack launched by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory air and ground assault in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, according to the latest update from the health ministry in Gaza. Many Jewish organisations and schools in the Netherlands have reported threats and hate mail.

“Our capital was the scene of a pogrom that would not have been out of place in Nazi Germany, albeit the contemporary version,” Mr Hertzberger said. Mr Herzog also spoke of a “pogrom” against Maccabi fans and Israeli citizens.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the order to send planes to bring fans home was taken after "a very violent incident”. The Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia announced five flights to Amsterdam.

Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, will also travel to the city on Friday for an “urgent” visit, his office said. Its military has banned all personnel from travelling to the Netherlands until further notice.

Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof said he was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens”, which he called “completely unacceptable”.

Mr Schoof said he had assured Mr Netanyahu by phone that "the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted".

Ms Halsema said the Dutch counterterror watchdog had judged there to be no concrete threat to Israeli fans before the game, but that a vast police response had been mobilised to ensure safety due to political tensions and the anniversary of the Nazi Kristallnacht pogrom.

Police said there had been incidents before the game, for which roughly 3,000 Maccabi supporters travelled to Amsterdam. Video showed Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans in the streets at some point, and police chief Peter Holla told reporters that a Palestinian flag had been burned and a taxi attacked by Maccabi supporters. Footage also appeared to show Maccabi fans ignoring a minute’s silence for victims of the Spanish floods.

The police added that dozens of people had been detained after the game as pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to reach the Johan Cruyff Arena, even though the city had forbidden a protest there.

Mr Holla said there previously had been two incidents as Maccabi supporters gathered at Dam Square, including fights, hit and run actions, and fireworks being fired. However this had remained controllable.

But it was as Maccabi supporters were walking through city centre after the match that “rioters made hit and run actions targeted at Israeli supporters”, after which “serious abuses took place”.

One video on social media showed a group of men running near Amsterdam central station, chasing and assaulting other men, as police sirens sounded.

Between 20 and 30 Maccabi fans were injured, including five who were taken to hospital and have since been discharged, Mr Holla said, adding that he was “particularly shocked” that police were unable to control or prevent the violence despite around 800 officers being mobilised, including six riot teams.

The Israeli embassy in The Hague said mobs had chanted anti-Israel slogans and shared videos of their violence on social media, “kicking, beating, even running over Israeli citizens”.

“On the eve of Kristallnacht – when Jews in Nazi Germany faced brutal attacks, it is horrifying to witness antisemitic violence on the streets of Europe once again,” it said.

France’s president Emmanuel Macron said the violence recalled “history’s darkest hour” and vowed that France would “relentlessly continue to fight against heinous antisemitism”.

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, said Jews must be able to feel safe in Europe and that “anyone who attacks Jews is attacking all of us”. He added: “We cannot accept this.”

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report