No arrests made during attacks on Israeli football supporters in Amsterdam; Wilders speechless

During the attacks aimed at Israeli supporters in the night from Thursday to Friday, the police did not make a single arrest. The arrests that were made all took place before and during the Ajax - Maccabi Tel Aviv match.

On Saturday, the Public Prosecution Service announced in a press release that 62 people had been arrested, four of them on suspicion of public violence. However, none of those detained were arrested for assaulting Israeli supporters on the street after the match. A spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office confirmed this on Saturday.

The attacks left five victims so injured that they had to be taken to hospital for treatment. In addition, 20 to 30 supporters of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv were slightly injured. On Thursday evening, the football club played against Ajax in the Europa League.

Two of the four suspects currently detained in Amsterdam for open violence on Thursday evening are minors. The four will be brought before a magistrate early next week, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced on Saturday in a statement on the riots surrounding the Ajax - Maccabi Tel Aviv match.

Of the 62 suspects detained, around 40 were arrested for disorderly conduct. They were fined and allowed to leave.

Ten people were suspected, for example, of insulting people, vandalism, or possession of fireworks. They were released but remain under suspicion. Investigations into these cases are still ongoing. Fines were also imposed on several people, including for failing to provide identification, resisting arrest, and insulting others.

On Friday, Mayor Femke Halsema said that there were enough police on site around the match. Problems arose during the night when rioters took to the streets in a “hit and run”. “Guys on scooters drove all over the city and fled from the police. For something like this to happen in Amsterdam is unbearable and unacceptable,” said the mayor.

“What has happened is a scandal for Amsterdam,” she said. “I want to make it clear. We are used to the fact that there can be tensions in Amsterdam. There are many demonstrations and protests, and we are always prepared for them. … But what happened last night is not a protest. It has nothing to do with a protest or demonstration. It is a crime. There is no excuse for what happened last night,” Halsema emphasized on Friday during a press conference.

The special team that was announced on Saturday will search for the perpetrators. Incoming reports and witness statements will be examined. Images will also be viewed to identify suspects. They will also investigate whether the attacks were planned. The police expect "further arrests".

In the night from Thursday to Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a “very violent incident” against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam. He then announced that he would send planes to Amsterdam to help the civilians. Many hundreds were brought back to Israel on Friday under escort.

PVV leader Geert Wilders said on X that he was speechless that not a single arrest had been made in the hit and run. “I am speechless. The Amsterdam police have just confirmed that no one was arrested in the Islamic Jew-hunt in Amsterdam on Thursday night. All arrests were made before and after the football match and not during the pogrom,” he wrote.

Israel will assist in investigation into Amsterdam violence

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has offered the Netherlands assistance in the investigation into the explosion of violence in Amsterdam against supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club. In a message on X, he states that the Israeli police "will collect testimonies and evidence from Israelis who were affected by the pogrom or witnessed it."

The Dutch authorities, "both at the national and local level", have accepted the offer, Saar said. "A practical way will be found in the coming days to implement what has been agreed."

He emphasized that Israel will remain on top of the case, "so that justice is done and the barbaric criminals are punished." He also indicated that "our friends in the Netherlands, who hold high positions in the government and parliament, will not give up. They understand very well how important it is that the Netherlands itself takes decisive action and removes the shame."

After the riots in Amsterdam, Sa'ar traveled to the Netherlands on Friday, for what he called the "rescue operation from Amsterdam". He met with Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Ministers David van Weel (Justice and Security), Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs), PVV leader Geert Wilders and VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof has assured the Israeli Foreign Minister that "the Dutch government is doing everything it can to ensure that the Jewish community in our country feels safe."