US, Canada groups urge leaders to condemn anti-Arab violence in Amsterdam

Two prominent Muslim groups have criticised North American leaders and media for ignoring attacks and anti-Arab violence by Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans during a Europa League match.

"It has been deeply distressing and disturbing to witness the violence that took place in Amsterdam around the Europa League match last night," The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) wrote on X on Friday, denouncing all forms of intimidation.

NCCM said Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans assaulted Arabs, burned flags, chanted "genocidal" slogan and dragged Arab taxi drivers out of their vehicles, leading to injuries and damage.

The Muslim group urged Canadian leaders to address the incidents directly.

"If Canadian leaders choose to weigh in on this issue, they must condemn the well-documented attacks on Arabs in Amsterdam."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell also criticised the violent incidents, calling the attackers a "massive crowd of openly racist Israeli soccer hooligans" who sparked violence by "marching through the city chanting 'Death to Arabs,' attacking visibly Muslim and Arab residents, and vandalizing houses and businesses with Palestinian flags."

He compared the attacks to potential violence in the US.

"As a Black man from Georgia, I know that it would be widely condemned if a group of white supremacists marched through downtown Atlanta chanting ‘death to n—ers,’ attacking Black-owned businesses, and beating up Black residents," he said.

"The violent brawls and attacks that occurred in Amsterdam are unacceptable. So is the false claim that Dutch Muslim and Arab residents of Amsterdam suddenly and randomly attacked Jewish people in a modern-day pogrom."

Media urged to avoid Israeli propaganda

Both groups urged North American leaders and the media to "accurately report the facts on the ground" and avoid "propaganda" that could fuel xenophobia toward immigrant communities in Europe.

They also demanded balanced reporting and officials to "condemn all forms of hate, whether it’s Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, or antisemitism."

Tensions flared late on Thursday in Amsterdam as racist Israeli fans clashed with pro-Palestine demonstrators before and after an Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match.

Videos on social media showed Maccabi supporters removing Palestinian flags and assaulting Arab taxi drivers.

Footage from outside the stadium captured chants by Maccabi fans, including inflammatory statements such as: "There are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left."

Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu regime later framed the violence as attacks on Israelis, despite the initial confrontations being linked to Maccabi supporters.

Racist Israeli hooligans ignited violence

A city councilor has, meanwhile, confirmed that Israeli hooligans instigated the violence in Amsterdam.

Noting that the Dutch government and the Amsterdam municipality initially described the incident as "anti-Semitic," Jazie Veldhuyzen, a senior city councilor, stressed the need for a thorough and objective examination.

"On Wednesday night, Maccabi hooligans initiated to attack houses with Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine Amsterdammers. That's when the violence started," he noted.

On Thursday, Maccabi fans chanted a song that mocked the deaths of children in Gaza and encouraged the Israeli army to "win over Arabs," Veldhuyzen added.

He emphasised that the hooligans included former Israeli soldiers.

"These are trained people and potential war criminals. Remember, they attacked pro-Palestinian civilians in Athens in March. They should have been let in Amsterdam," he said.