Netherlands The attacks were condemned by Dutch authorities, who described them as
antisemitic. Some Israeli and Dutch authors also described the incident as a
pogrom. Dutch Prime Minister
Dick Schoof said he was "horrified" by the "antisemitic attacks" on Israelis, and that the country had "failed" its Jewish community. He said the attackers would be found and prosecuted, Schoof also criticised comparisons between the actions of the Israeli fans and the attacks on Israeli fans that followed. He said Israeli fans' actions would also be investigated, but added: "There is nothing, absolutely nothing to serve as an excuse for the deliberate search and hunting down of Jews." King
Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands expressed "deep horror and shock" at the attacks, adding: "We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during
World War II, and last night we failed again." The responses of some far-right politicians, such as
Geert Wilders, were criticised for
weaponizing the incident against "Moroccans" and "multicultural scum", including calls to report those convicted of the attacks. On 15 November 2024,
Nora Achahbar, the
State Secretary for Benefits and Customs resigned from the
cabinet, citing polarising comments by politicians both in the cabinet and to the public. This almost led to the collapse of the country's four-party governing coalition. On 19 November 2024, in response to the riots, the Dutch House of Representatives passed a motion brought by Wilders, Caroline van der Plas, and Claudia van Zanten that called on the government to "close
Salafist mosques and institutions that promote the destruction of the Jewish people and Israel". The motion said a rise in antisemitism and incitement had contributed to a "Jew-hunt" in the country.
The Forward, a
Jewish American newspaper, reported that many in the Netherlands' small Jewish community were worried about their own safety, as they were "treated like representatives of Israel". In a viral Instagram post, Jelle Zijlstra, a Jewish community organizer in Amsterdam, called for nuance as she condemned both the "antisemitic" attacks and the Maccabi "hooligans". A rabbinical student in Amsterdam said: "We don't know that the people who got attacked last night were those same people who chanted racist chants. There is real evidence that people went 'Jew hunting.'"
Amsterdam Amsterdam mayor
Femke Halsema initially described the attackers as "antisemitic hit-and-run squads" and said the incident reminded her of pogroms against Jews in Europe. Halsema later said she regretted her use of the word "pogrom" and condemned the weaponisation of the word to attack Dutch Muslims and Moroccans. She criticised Israeli and Dutch politicians for framing the violence as targeted attacks on Israelis by local Moroccans and Palestinians. She also said the first reports had not revealed the Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters' violent behavior in Amsterdam.
Jazie Veldhuyzen, an Amsterdam councillor for the left-leaning
De Vonk party, said "Maccabi
hooligans" initiated the violence when they attacked local homes, and that the city and the right-wing government were exploiting the incidents to persecute migrants. Four days after the events, the mayor's office published a report written with Chief Prosecutor
René de Beukelaer and Police Chief
Peter Holla which condemned violence against minority groups in the city, and said it would conduct an independent inquiry into the riots. Israeli foreign minister
Gideon Sa'ar advised Israelis in Amsterdam to stay in their hotels, and reached out to his Dutch counterpart,
Caspar Veldkamp, for assistance in transporting Israeli citizens safely to the airport. Sa'ar described the events as "barbaric and antisemitic," and "a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world".
Yad Vashem also noted the anniversary, saying the events showed an "alarming resurgence of antisemitism". Netanyahu arranged for
El Al, Israel's flag carrier, to run eight free rescue flights from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, transporting 2,000 Israelis. Israeli journalist
Gideon Levy contrasted the Amsterdam attacks with the "daily pogroms in the West Bank" against Palestinians and the war in Gaza.
Palestine The
Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting all forms of violence and condemning
anti-Arab racism and the desecration of the Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters. The ministry expressed concern over the three days of "violent acts" in the capital carried out by fans known for their "racist tendencies". Tayseer Nasrallah, part of
Fatah's internal parliamentary body, said the attacks were "proof that the world is sick of the Jews". The
Palestinian Football Association said they were "gravely concerned" about the incident, and condemned the
anti-Palestinian racism and
Islamophobia expressed by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. It also said it had "presented FIFA with extensive evidence of such hateful expressions, yet concrete action remains lacking". According to
France 24, no European leader condemned the racist anti-Arab chants or the violent actions carried out by the Israeli supporters.
Hamas senior spokesperson
Sami Abu Zuhri said the Amsterdam unrest was a spontaneous response to Israel's actions in Gaza. He said the events illustrate the public reaction to the ongoing
Gaza genocide, and that ending the violence in Gaza was essential for upholding
human rights and supporting both regional and global security. == References ==