Antisemitic rioters “actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them” following a football match in Amsterdam, authorities in the Netherlands reported, with police stating that five people were hospitalised and 62 detained after a night of violence.
The police did not mention the nationality of any of those injured or arrested following the scenes of chaos in the Dutch capital.
The Israeli government said it was helping to coordinate flights home for Israeli fans caught up in the violence.
Israel was “doing everything to ensure the safety and security of our citizens who were brutally attacked in the horrific antisemitic incident in Amsterdam,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“It was decided that it was not necessary to send a professional rescue mission to the Netherlands. Instead, the effort will focus on providing civil aviation solutions for the recovery of our citizens.”
Israel’s airports authority said the first of two planes being sent to bring citizens home had departed from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and was expected to arrive in Amsterdam within a few hours.
Dutch leaders also condemned the violence against the Israeli fans as antisemitic.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on social media that he followed reports of the violence “with horror.”
“Completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis. I am in close contact with everyone involved,” he added, saying he had spoken with Netanyahu and “emphasised that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted. It is now quiet in the capital.”
