Israeli football fans have clashed with apparent pro-Palestinian protesters before and after a Europa League football match between their team Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam.

The clashes took place on Thursday evening outside the Johan Cruijff Arena, the city’s main arena and home stadium of Ajax Amsterdam, but also in other areas. Ajax won the match 5-0 after leading 3-0 at halftime.

Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen reported from Amsterdam that the clashes were the result of a build-up of tensions over a few days.

“Hundreds of supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv came to Amsterdam, held a very noisy rally in the main square before the incident, waving Israeli flags, and also took down a Palestinian flag,” she said.

On Thursday, police had said on social media that they were being particularly vigilant after politically charged incidents, including the pulling down of a Palestinian flag from a building.

Videos on social media captured the reported incident, which showed Israeli fans shouting slogans as one person pulled down the flag.

The Israeli fans sparked the violence after arriving in the city and attacking Palestinian supporters before the match, an Amsterdam city councilor said.

“They started attacking people’s houses in Amsterdam with Palestinian flags, so that’s actually where the violence started,” councilor Jazie Veldhuyzen told Al Jazeera on Friday.

“In response, Amsterdam residents mobilized and resisted the attacks that started on Wednesday by the Maccabi hooligans.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said 10 Israelis were injured and two were “missing” after the clashes, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said planes would be sent to bring back Israeli citizens. His office did not clarify what led to what it called a “very violent incident against Israeli civilians.”

But Netanyahu said in a Friday statement from his office that he “considers the horrific incident with the utmost seriousness and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take strong and swift action against the rioters and guarantee the safety of our citizens.”

Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg said the incident showed that the Israeli narrative had taken over Europe.

“The fact that Israeli fans are rioting in the middle of Amsterdam, singing racist songs and climbing the walls of houses to tear down Palestinian flags… is part of the Israeli situation right now: a complete detachment between actions and consequences,” he said. he to Al Jazeera.

On Friday, Al Jazeera’s Vaessen said the capital was now calm.

Arrests and injuries

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema had banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration due to concerns about tensions between demonstrators and supporters of the Israeli football club.

About 600 police officers were deployed after riots began between pro-Palestinian supporters and Maccabi fans, Al Jazeera’s Vaessen reported, adding that a number of people were injured. Police said Friday that 62 people had been arrested.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators had tried to reach the stadium, Vaessen said. Police said fans left the stadium without incident, but several clashes were reported in the city center throughout the night.

According to councilor Veldhuyzen: “The mayor says that the police did intervene, but I would say that they did not act at the right times.”

He told Al Jazeera: “They only acted to protect the Maccabi hooligans when Amsterdam residents stood up to defend their own people and their own homes. And this is when the police showed up to protect the Maccabi fans as they ran away after attacking people.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he followed news of the riots with “horror,” adding that “the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted.”

In a post on social media platform X on Friday, Schoof said: “Completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis. I am in close contact with everyone involved.”

Aircraft shipped

The Israeli army said on Friday it was carrying out a rescue mission coordinated by the Dutch government, including medical and rescue teams.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also spoke to his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp and requested the Dutch government’s assistance in securing the departure of fans from hotels to Amsterdam airport.

Saar “stressed the seriousness with which Israel views the widespread violent attacks against its citizens throughout Amsterdam,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

But Goldberg, the Israeli political commentator, said the Israeli response to the clashes reflected a “complete rejection of the idea that actions have consequences,” given the actions of Israeli fans in Amsterdam.

“Netanyahu is sending not only cargo planes, but also military cargo planes to save Israelis from persecution in Amsterdam,” he told Al Jazeera.

The Israeli club was founded in 1906 in Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv. It is at the bottom of the Europa League table this season, at position 35 out of 36.

The next match in the Europa League on November 28 will be against Turkish team Besiktas, based in Istanbul. However, following a decision by the Turkish authorities, the match will be played at a “neutral venue”.

European football’s governing body, UEFA, condemned the “acts of violence” before and after the match on Friday.

“We trust that the relevant authorities will identify and charge as many of those responsible for such actions as possible,” the report said in a statement.