Dear Editor,
The city of Amsterdam has made headlines in newspapers and international news broadcasts in recent days. After the Ajax vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv match on November 7, 2024, supporters in the Dutch capital were chased, abused, and humiliated. Some referred to it as violence, others as a pogrom. No matter what label you attach to it, the behavior is in no way justifiable.
In this article, I provide a counter-narrative to the parrot-like media. Was this violence against, uhhhh … Israelis or the Jews and where did it come from?
I, Ramin, am the host of the podcast called From a Distance. In the first and second episode I discuss the history of Israel and the Jews, and Palestine and the Palestinians. Visit
https://shows.acast.com/from-a-distance to listen to my episodes.
The match
On November 7, 2024, Ajax played against Maccabi Tel Aviv. The police had 800 officers on active to keep everything in order.
A side note: 800 police officers for a football match. Shouldn’t the costs be covered by professional football sector itself, especially for a match where one of the parties is a stock company with profit as its goal?
After the match, things went completely wrong in Amsterdam. Not the Ajax supporters, but it appeared to be Moroccan youth on scooters who chased Israelis and beat or humiliated them.
Characterization of violence
Something stood out to me in the reactions of politicians and media coverage. When the Israeli army used violence against Palestinians, it was initially said that the Jews were the perpetrators. This could no longer be said, because it wasn’t about Jews, but Israelis. Talk shows and other media immediately adopted this terminology.
However, the violence against Israeli supporters was quickly labeled a pogrom. A pogrom is defined as a violent attack against a particular group of people, usually targeting ethnic or religious minorities. By calling the violence a pogrom, you are effectively saying it was against the Jews. But why are the Israeli supporters now suddenly all Jews? Let’s stay consistent and continue referring to the perpetrators of the wartime violence against the Palestinians as Jews.
Underlying current
For years, Jews from all over the world have visited Amsterdam, and this level of violence has not been seen in this form before. Where did this outburst of violence come from? Could it be the Dutch and international politics?
Politics should reflect society, but for years it has been said that politics is becoming increasingly estranged from the people. Citizens increasingly feel disconnected from what they voted for.
The same applies to the stance that the Dutch government and political parties have taken regarding the war in Israel. This stance consists of saying “shame on Israel.” But the Netherlands facilitates the Jews by providing supplies that allow them to oppress the Palestinians.
Mayors themselves are getting tired of the number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that their municipalities must facilitate. Let alone all those police officers on the streets and behind the scenes. The political parties have no ear for this issue and do not change their course.
Isn’t the politics further alienating itself from its citizens by burying its head in the sand and ignoring what course its citizens really want to follow?
Once again, the Dutch government immediately issued broad apologies to the Jews and hosted an Israeli minister in the Netherlands. Not a critical word about the fact that the violence in Amsterdam is a consequence of the lawless actions by the Jews against the Palestinians – the Jews who have been driving out and slaughtering Palestinians for more than a year now.
Europeans and Arabs
We, Europeans, are loosely connected to each other. For the Arabs, it is different. The Arab people share a long and rich history, shaped by both flourishing periods and times of oppression. This shared past has forged a collective memory and a sense of unity. Although Arab cultures are diverse, they unite in many ways, such as family values, hospitality, and a shared expression in art, music, and literature. These shared cultural elements strengthen the sense of a common identity.
The “Amsterdam Arabs” feel even more connected to the Palestinians than Europeans do. For them, the injustice being done to “their” people in Gaza and the West Bank feels even more intensely than it does for the white European.
Amsterdam violence
Could the outburst of violence by the “Amsterdam Arabs” be an expression of powerlessness, of feeling unheard and not taken seriously by Dutch politics, ultimately leading to taking matters into their own hands?
I am only describing the emotional process here; I am not making a judgment on whether it is good or bad at this point.
In the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, Ukrainian resistance will carry out attacks and sabotage operations. We consider these actions justified. Now, a group of Arabs carries out an action against “their enemy,” and the strongest terms, such as pogrom, are immediately used.
Make no mistake: I do condone any violence … even that in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon by Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, or other countries and organizations. Can I understand that violence is used as an expression of years of pent-up emotion? Yes, I can understand that.
Political stance
It is no coincidence that the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs (Adviesraad Internationale Vraagstukken) has advised the Dutch government to revise its stance on the war in Israel. For more than a year, Israel has been slaughtering Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Dutch position is no longer tenable and causes disbelief and a sense of injustice among a large part of the Dutch population.
Where the politicians immediately spoke up about the violence in Amsterdam, they should look in the mirror and consider their own role in this.
Ramin Berwers
