Second Wave of Apparently Antisemitic Attacks Breaks Out in Amsterdam Alex Welz
A famous Dutch tram was set ablaze by rioters in Amsterdam on Monday in what appears to be a second wave of antisemitic violence, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Rioters in all-black attire were seen throwing objects and shouting “Kanker Joden,” a phrase that translates to “Cancer Jews” but is widely interpreted as “F*** the Jews.” The tram reportedly contained no passengers.
Perpetrators shattered the windows of a different tram earlier in the day before setting it on fire in the city’s western suburbs. This prompted clashes with law enforcement and more than 50 arrests. A police spokesman reported that the blaze was likely caused by fireworks.
Masked individuals were reported to be roaming the streets shouting “Free Palestine” in the attacks’ aftermath. This comes just days after Israelis soccer fans were targeted in Amsterdam by mobs of young men following a soccer match. Five victims required hospitalization while 20 to 30 others were injured. At least 62 suspects were arrested, yet only ten remained in custody later that same day, Amsterdam’s public prosecutor René de Beukelaer told reporters.
“The Antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted,” President Biden wrote on X. “We’ve been in touch with Israeli and Dutch officials and appreciate Dutch authorities’ commitment to holding the perpetrators accountable. We must relentlessly fight Antisemitism, wherever it emerges.”
The State of Israel provided “civil aviation solutions” for Israelis seeking to return home urgently. The Israeli government did “everything to ensure the safety and security of our citizens who were brutally attacked in the horrific anti-Semitic incident in Amsterdam,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“We will not tolerate (it). We will prosecute the perpetrators,” Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof said. “I’m deeply ashamed that this could happen in the Netherlands in 2024.”
Right-wing politician and leader of the Netherlands’ majority Party for Freedom Geert Wilders also weighed in.
“Looks like a Jew hunt in the streets of Amsterdam. Arrest and deport the multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets,” he said. “Ashamed that this can happen in The Netherlands. Totally unacceptable.”
Despite the city’s imposition of a three-day ban on all demonstrations following Friday’s events, hundreds openly defied the order and returned to the streets.
Wilders responded to the latest developments on Monday by saying, “After the Jew-hunt, the Intifada.”
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