A Dutch court convicted five men on Tuesday for their involvement in the violent attacks against Israeli football fans in Amsterdam in November, a disturbing event that drew international attention and raised accusations of antisemitism.
The Amsterdam district court found the men guilty of various crimes, including physically attacking Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in the street and inciting violence in online chat groups.
The harshest sentence, six months in prison, was handed to Sefa O. for his role in public violence against multiple individuals.
Israeli authorities reported that 10 people were injured during the attacks, while many more were forced to remain holed up in their hotels for hours, fearing further violence.
Numerous Israeli tourists claimed that Dutch security forces were absent as gangs of masked assailants ambushed and assaulted them, shouting pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans.
The victims were beaten and harassed. Police have since opened investigations into at least 45 people in connection with the incident, with some social media posts allegedly calling for “the hunting of Jews.”
The violence followed a tense period, marked by skirmishes that included Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slurs, vandalizing a taxi, and burning a Palestinian flag.
The shocking images quickly spread across the globe, sparking outrage in Israel, where some compared the violence to a “pogrom.”
The most serious case was that of Sefa O., who prosecutors said had played a “leading role” in the attacks. Evidence presented to the court included images of O. kicking a man on the ground, chasing down victims, and punching people in the head and body.
While the prosecutor acknowledged that the attacks had little to do with soccer, they emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest a terrorist motive or antisemitic intent.
The prosecutor argued that the violence was primarily influenced by the ongoing situation in Gaza, stemming from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group.
Another man, 24-year-old Umutcan A., received a one-month sentence for assaulting fans and violently ripping a Maccabi Tel Aviv scarf from one of them.
A third defendant, Abushabab M., aged 22, faces attempted murder charges, but his case has been delayed pending a psychiatric evaluation.
His lawyer noted that M. had been born in Gaza and raised in a war zone, and the defendant sobbed as the proceedings were held.
Additionally, six other suspects are awaiting court hearings, with three being minors whose cases will be addressed in closed sessions.
In an emotional press conference following the unrest, Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema called the city “deeply damaged” by the “hateful antisemitic rioters.” However, she later backtracked on her use of the term “pogrom,” stating that the word had been exploited as propaganda.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled the attacks as a “premeditated antisemitic assault,” a sentiment echoed by the Lawfare Project, a Jewish civil rights group, throughout the court proceedings.
