Protesters run after Israeli football fans in Amsterdam. Photo: Reuters
On Thursday evening, after a football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, a pogrom against Israeli fans broke out in Amsterdam, resulting in numerous injuries and the disappearance of three people. According to local authorities and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ten Israelis were injured and three went missing, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Among the missing is 33-year-old Israeli and Bulgarian citizen Guy Avidor, who had travelled from London to attend the match. The last message his family received from him was posted on social media before the match. Since then, he has not been in touch. The family appealed to the public to help find him.
“We were lured into a trap,” said eyewitnesses who came under attack. Videos circulating online show fans being beaten, chased with knives and nearly run over by cars.
Local police reported that the situation in the city has calmed down over the past hour. Israelis have been instructed to stay at home as rioting continues in some areas. According to Dutch law enforcement, 57 people involved in the violence have been arrested so far.
In response to the violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent two emergency flights to evacuate Israelis from Amsterdam.
