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Israeli football supporters, fresh from Amsterdam, spoke on Friday about violent encounters they experienced after a Europa League match. They claimed the violence was specifically targeted at Jewish people, highlighting the escalating tensions in the city.
Describing the fear he felt, 40-year-old Kobi Eliyahu explained, “People with covered faces were lurking at every corner… it was terrifying to see that.”
Another returning supporter, Eliya Cohen, reported witnessing disturbing scenes after the Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match on Thursday, saying he saw “Muslims looking to beat up Jews” in central Amsterdam.
“So I left. On the one hand, I wanted to help people out, but on the other hand I didn’t want to stay there,” Cohen told reporters at Ben Gurion airport near Israel’s commercial hub of Tel Aviv.
The arrivals hall buzzed with activity as returning fans, some wearing Maccabi Tel Aviv scarves and jerseys, were greeted by eager reporters and reunited with relieved loved ones.
Following the home team’s dominant 5-0 win, the unrest resulted in five people being hospitalized and was denounced as “anti-Semitic” by officials from both Israel and the Netherlands.
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Despite a huge police presence, authorities were unable to stop the rapid attacks on fans in several parts of the city.
Nadav Zer, 33, said he and others he was with had to run back to their hotel to escape the violence.
“We heard blasts the whole night” as well as “shouts and screams” in Arabic, said Zer.
“It was unimaginable, the whole night,” he added.
“But we never heard the police.”
Eliyahu, a photographer who attended the game with his siblings, said: “It was orchestrated. They knew what was going to happen and it was a total surprise for us.”
