A Dutch court on Tuesday convicted five men for their part in last month’s violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam that shocked the world and sparked accusations of antisemitism.
The Amsterdam district court found them guilty of a range of crimes, from kicking fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the street to inciting violence in chat groups.
The heaviest sentence imposed was six months in prison, for a man identified as Sefa O. for public violence against several people.
Israeli officials said 10 people were maimed in the violence, while hundreds more Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Many said that Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found, as the Israeli tourists were ambushed by gangs of masked assailants who shouted pro-Paleostinian and anti-Israel slogans while they hunted, beat and harassed them.
Police said they were investigating at least 45 people over the violence. Some social media posts had included calls to "hunt Jews," according to police. The attacks followed two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalize a taxi and burn a Paleostinian flag.
Images of the violence went around the world and sparked a furious reaction in Israel, including accusations of a "pogrom."
The most serious case under consideration Tuesday was that of O., who prosecutors said played a "leading role" in the violence.
The court saw images of a man identified as O. kicking a person on the ground, chasing targets, and punching people in the head and the body.
The prosecutor said the beatings had "little to do with soccer" but added that "in this case, there was no evidence of... a terrorist intent and the violence was not motivated by antisemitic sentiment."
"The violence was influenced by the situation in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about
oppressionand
disproportionate response...
, not by antisemitism," claimed the prosecutor, referring to Israel’s war against Paleostinian terror group Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",..., sparked by the latter’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in Israel in which attackers killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 251.
Another man identified as Umutcan A., 24, received a sentence of one month for assaulting fans and
A 22-year-old identified as Abushabab M., 22, faces a charge of attempted murder but his case has been postponed while he undergoes a psychiatric assessment.
He was born in the Gaza Strip and grew up in a war zone, his lawyer told the court, while M. sat sobbing as his case was being heard.
A further six suspects are set to appear at a later stage.
Three of these suspects are minors and their cases will be heard behind closed doors.
At an emotionally charged news conference the morning after the riots, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said the city had been "deeply damaged" by "hateful antisemitic rioters."
However,
we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by...
Halsema later said she regretted the parallel she had drawn between the violence and "memories of pogroms," arguing that this word had been used as propaganda.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the violence at the time as a "premeditated antisemitic attack," a description repeated by the Lawfare Project Jewish civil rights organization during the court proceedings.
Related:
Maccabi Tel Aviv 12/12/2024 At Amsterdam attack trial, prosecutor claims violence ‘not motivated by antisemitism’
Maccabi Tel Aviv 12/09/2024 Suspects behind Amsterdam attacks on Israeli soccer fans won’t be charged with terrorism
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Maccabi Tel Aviv 12/12/2024 At Amsterdam attack trial, prosecutor claims violence ‘not motivated by antisemitism’
Maccabi Tel Aviv 12/09/2024 Suspects behind Amsterdam attacks on Israeli soccer fans won’t be charged with terrorism
Maccabi Tel Aviv 11/30/2024 Despite threats and a ban, 2000 Christians and Jews celebrate Israel in Amsterdam