Geert Wilders.Photo: AA.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the right-wing forces in the Dutch parliament and head of the Freedom Party (PVV), is challenging the statement of the Amsterdam police, which claims that no one was arrested during the attack on Israelis in the city. Wilders expressed his outrage and said that all the arrests were made before and during the football match, not during the pogrom itself. This was reported by TimeUkraineIsrael with reference to Israeli Channel 7.
Criticism of the police: Arrests not related to pogrom
The removal of Israeli fans took place on the streets of Amsterdam after a football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and a Dutch club, when a group of attackers attacked people suspected of supporting Israel. In the wake of these events, the city’s police officially stated that dozens of people had been detained on suspicion of participating in violent acts, but only four people remained in custody at the time of the incident.
Wilders: “Hunting Jews on the streets of Amsterdam”
However, Wilders, who is a prominent supporter of Israel, has been harshly critical, saying that the police failed to act properly during the pogrom itself. On his account on the social network X, he wrote: “I am shocked. The Amsterdam police have confirmed that no one was arrested during the ‘Jew hunt’ in Amsterdam! All arrests took place before or during the football match, NOT during the pogrom!”
A call for deportations and decisive action
Wilders called for decisive action against the attackers, accusing them of acting in a manner reminiscent of “hunting Jews on the streets of Amsterdam”. In his first post, he stressed the need for the arrest and deportation of those involved in the pogrom, adding: “It’s a shame that this can happen in the Netherlands. It is absolutely unacceptable”.
Comparison of the situation in Gaza
In his second message, Wilders compared the situation in Amsterdam to the situation in Gaza, saying: “We have become the Gaza of Europe. Muslims with Palestinian flags are hunting Jews. I will not accept this. NEVER!”
These harsh statements by Wilders drew attention to the extremely tense situation unfolding in the Netherlands and called into question the effectiveness of police actions to combat anti-Semitism and violence amid political conflicts. At the same time, the Amsterdam police appealed to the public for help in investigating the attacks and restoring order in this scandalous incident.
All of these developments indicate a difficult situation in a country where violence based on religious or ethnic motives threatens to destabilise public order.
