Dutch PM exits EU talks to join Amsterdam Jews after riots; Wilders meets Israeli leaders

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof metwith members of the Jewish community in Amsterdam on Friday evening in the aftermath of the violent attacks targeting Israeli football fans a night earlier. While Schoof left the informal European Union summit in Budapest earlier than planned, Justice Minister David van Weel and PVV leader Geert Wilders also met with high-level Israeli politicians.

The events in which Israeli men, believed to be football fans, were attacked in Amsterdam during the overnight hours from Thursday on to Friday led to indignant reactions in the Netherlands and abroad. The prime minister spent most of the day at the EU summit, saying Friday morning he needed to represent the Netherlands during the talks. Schoof expressed confidence in Van Weel's ability to deal with the initial impact of the overnight violence along with Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema.

"I look back with horror and shame at the events of yesterday evening and tonight in Amsterdam. The Netherlands must never accept anti-Semitism. I personally said this tonight to representatives of the Jewish community in Amsterdam," Schoof wrote. "I spoke to them about the enormous impact of the events in Amsterdam and the fear that lives within the community. It was a poignant conversation about the sorrow and uncertainty that is experienced in the Jewish community. Every day they experience the consequences of the growing anti-Semitism in the Netherlands."

Throughout the afternoon, there were several appeals for Schoof to take a more active role in handling the situation. At about 3 p.m., his office confirmed plans for the prime minister to return to the Netherlands, and by 5:30 p.m. it became clear that he planned to visit Amsterdam later in the evening. Schoof was expected to discuss with members of the Jewish community “the impact that the events from last night had on them,” a spokesperson for Schoof stated. The meeting will be held in private, “so that they can speak to each other in peace."

Moments earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Amir Ohana, the Speaker of the Knesset, were received by Van Weel at Schiphol Airport. They also met with Wilders, the leader of the far-right PVV, the largest party in the governing coalition and the lower house of Dutch Parliament. Speaking to NPO Radio 1, Sa'ar said he knows that the violence does not reflect how the Netherlands views Israel and Jews. However, it was so impactful on the streets overnight that it became clear that the Netherlands has more work to do.

He said the country must do everything in its power to prosecute the perpetrators and "severely" punish them "to prevent it from happening again." Standing with Van Weel, the Dutch minister reiterated that discrimination and violence against Jewish people will not be tolerated.

Prior to meeting with the two Israeli politicians, Wilders spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing his "anger and shame" about the violence in the capital. "There is no place for antisemitism and jew hate in The Netherlands and I will do all I can to protect Jews and stop and expel Islamic radicals," he wrote on social media.

Sa'ar will meet with Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on Saturday. He is on a working visit to Singapore that wrapped up on Friday, but spoke to his Israeli counterpart over the phone after the scale of the violence became clear.

Beyond that, the Israeli delegation’s plans are unclear. The newly appointed Sa'ar announced the visit as his "first and unplanned mission" in which he wants to present the "Israeli truth." He said he wants to use the talks with Dutch authorities to emphasize the importance of the fight against anti-Semitism, and the right of Israel and Israelis to defend themselves.

Earlier in the day, Dutch King Willem-Alexander spoke with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog about the violence that broke out in the capital. The king said both he and Queen Máxima were “shocked” by the attacks on Israeli football supporters.

“We must not look away from antisemitic behavior on our streets. History has taught us how intimidation goes from bad to worse, with horrific consequences,” a statement from the king noted. “Jewish people must feel safe in the Netherlands, everywhere and at all times.”

In recalling their conversation, Herzog said he wanted everything to be done to stop an escalation of antisemitism in the capital. He quoted the king as saying, “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again.”