Only four of those arrested in connection with the horrifying attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam were still in custody on Saturday, but Dutch authorities said they were not aware of the violence Israel had highlighted in the days leading up to the unrest. The company said it is currently investigating whether it missed any warning signs of the possibility.
Sixty-three people have been detained following a brutal attack on Thursday night in which a group of anti-Israel rioters violently attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans on their way home from a Europa League match.
On Saturday, The Times of Israel reported, citing Dutch police, that only four of those arrested were in custody.
“So much for justice. Sadly, anti-Semitism is alive and well again,” one commenter lamented regarding the release of X.
“This is a disgrace,” another person chimed in.
“Europe is over,” added a third.
More than 40 of the detainees were sentenced to fines for public nuisance, and 10 others were charged with crimes including criminal damage to property, prosecutors said.
Those remaining in prison will be tried on charges of public violence under an expedited trial procedure, Chief Prosecutor Rene Des Beaux said, The Jerusalem Post reported. Keller said.
Officials said those released were suspected of using abusive language and throwing fireworks.
More arrests are expected as investigators comb through video images of the violence, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. None of the arrests made so far have been related to post-match violence.
“The investigation that we started in the evening focuses on the suspect seen in the film footage,” explained De Beukeller.
“We are also looking into whether there is a connection between these suspects and how they came to commit these acts of violence. We are also looking into whether it is organized. “There are,” the chief prosecutor said.
At least five people were treated for injuries in hospital, while nearly 30 people escaped the onslaught with less serious injuries.
The Dutch government is investigating whether it missed warning signs in the days leading up to the attack, which prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send planes to evacuate people from the Netherlands.
“An investigation into possible warning signs from Israel is still being conducted,” Justice Minister David van Weel said in a letter to parliament late Friday, The Times of Israel reported. said.
A senior Israeli security official said Israeli security officials had confirmed “riots” on social media in the Netherlands ahead of the soccer match, including calls by pro-Palestinian groups for violent protests near the stadium. .
“For this reason, the Mossad has issued a warning to the Dutch security services asking them to immediately and significantly increase security against Israelis around the stadium and throughout the city, especially in hotels where fans are present.” ,” they told the outlet.
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which monitors anti-Semitism around the world, also issued a warning document on Wednesday highlighting the “very high risk” of such attacks, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported.
The ministry’s warning was shared and discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the report said.
However, Israel’s National Security Council was not briefed on the threat and therefore did not issue a warning to the public, including the 3,000 fans who traveled to Amsterdam to watch the match.
The Times of Israel reported that the attack appeared to have been organized by Islamic elements in the Netherlands, rather than Iran, which is accused of sponsoring anti-Semitic violence elsewhere in Europe. Ta.
Moving forward, Israeli Sports Minister Miki Zohar has warned Israeli fans not to attend upcoming matches in Europe, but the National Security Council has not yet issued a formal warning and the current There are reportedly no plans to update the guidelines.
Some witnesses said Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found when a “pogrom” of anti-Israel attackers descended on Jewish fans.
“It was a pogrom. If we had the internet in 1938, this is what Kristallnacht would have been like,” one shaken victim recalled.
An Israeli Defense Forces officer who was in town for a soccer match told the Post that his friend was beaten irrationally by a group of 15 people until his friend, covered in blood, screamed “Free Palestine!” .
The Israeli-American tech worker added, “These attacks resurfaced on October 7th.”
with post wire
