Transcription
In Amsterdam, Jews were hunted down, ambushed, run over by vehicles. Many reported missing; people thrown into the river; women beaten; families with children attacked by mobs; several people beaten unconscious. This is not a report from 1940s Europe; this is yesterday.
This is what happened in the aftermath of an Israeli football team playing a match and an anti-Semitic mob hunted the Israeli supporters to attack them. This was, according to commentators and authorities, a pogrom. And this is what took place in the home of Anne Frank.
There's one difference between the kind of hunting down of Jews that took place during the time of the Holocaust and now, which is that Netanyahu and the Israeli government sent two warplanes to rescue Israelis and bring them home immediately while they've been hiding in hotels. There's even talks of a hostage situation, and people still ask if there's a need for a Jewish state. That's the one big difference; this time, there's an Israel.
Goodness me, this is a wake-up call—an absolute clear wake-up call for people in Europe and people around the world to understand what is really going on with the conflict in Israel. This was never about some kind of legitimate grievance of Israel doing something terrible and aggressive. If it was, why would they be hunting down Jews?
Do you find people who are upset with Putin for his aggression towards Ukraine wanting to hunt down every single Russian? No, they'd say, "We're just upset with the government; we're upset with the leader." It's clearly not about that, is it? What do women and children have to do with this?
I want to read to you the reports coming out of Amsterdam. We've seen that Israelis were ambushed; several have been reported missing; people thrown into the river; incidents of people run over by cars. I don't actually want to show you the footage because it's so gruesome, but it's online. What's been happening? Attackers having knives and baseball bats; passports were stolen and published online. Families with children attacked by mobs; women were beaten; several men beaten unconscious.
This was taped, just like what Hamas were doing with their GoPros, filming this proudly. Several men beaten unconscious; local authorities losing control of the city. Muslim migrants broke into hotels, threw incendiary devices through windows, and burned Israeli flags.
I'm afraid to say that just like after October 7th, all the facts of what had taken place on that tragic day weren't clear yet, and I suspect that we're still not really hearing all the facts of what's fully taken place. But I want to share with you what it is that we do know so far.
This is a report from the Jerusalem Post, and they've reported that Amsterdam police announced they are investigating a potential hostage situation following violent attacks against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans following a soccer match on Thursday evening. Local authorities and Israel's Foreign Ministry have reported that 10 Israelis have been injured so far in the pogrom, with council members currently searching hospitals. Three people have been reported missing. Among those missing is a 33-year-old Israeli Bulgarian guy, Avidor, who traveled from London for the game. The last contact his family has had with him was a post on social media before the match, and he has since been missing for 10 hours, according to Walla. His family has asked the public for help in trying to locate him.
Authorities say the situation has calmed down over the last hour and Israelis have been instructed to shelter in place. The Dutch police spokeswoman said 57 have been arrested so far. There has been footage circulating on social media showing fans being beaten, chased with knives, narrowly avoiding being hit by vehicles, and others being hit by vehicles.
I saw that myself, and I don't want to play that footage; I'm not even sure YouTube would allow me to. Dutch riot police were sent in to respond to the attackers. According to Marv, there has been at least one attempt at kidnapping an Israeli. Many have barricaded themselves in stores and buildings. This is Europe—modern, civilized Europe.
Well, of course, we know that that's clearly a nonsensical notion. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, Israel's Embassy in the Netherlands is working to relocate Israelis to a safe location. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been informed of the incident and has sent two rescue planes to assist Israeli citizens. The IDF is coordinating the rescue mission and are sending cargo aircraft and two planes from the Hercules Squadron with medical and rescue teams.
Just amazing! And this is what makes it different from prior times. The other thing that makes it different, by the way, is that we do have friends in Europe this time. And what we're seeing, unfortunately, is a lack of resources and the ability—maybe a willingness—to confront this by Europe's leaders.
While some of them may be trying to help, the problem is that we've been seeing far too much cowardice—not necessarily in all cases that they are hunting down Jews, but that they're not willing to stand up to those who are against Israel and the Jewish people in a way that can really ensure safety. The phrase "from the river to the sea" should be considered hate speech.
These are the kinds of things we need to start seeing moving forward by Europe's leaders and the police, who, certainly in Britain, have been far too weak. The Jerusalem Post continues: Israel's two chief rabbis have given permission to allow the company to fly on Shabbat in order to provide life-saving assistance. And of course, that is Jewish law—you have to save a life; you can break Shabbat in order to save a life. More than that, you must do that. The Jews care for Shabbat, and Shabbat cares for the Jews.
The Prime Minister's office said Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and called on the Dutch government and security forces to take vigorous and swift action against the rioters. He spoke with the Dutch Prime Minister on Friday morning, asking him for increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.
The Prime Minister posted on X that he had been following the news from Amsterdam with horror—completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis. He added that in his call with Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister had emphasized that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted. The National Security Council has issued a new warning to Israelis and Jews in the Netherlands to avoid movements in the street and lock themselves in hotel rooms. The externalization of Israeli and Jewish symbols must be avoided.
L and other flights have added three rescue flights on the order of the Transport Ministry. Multiple videos showed Israelis jumping into canals to avoid the protesters. I even saw one being kicked onto the train tracks of a train station, which could mean that if a train were coming along, they'd be dead. One video shows a man being kicked to the ground while he yells at them, "I'm not Jewish." I called my friend, and a voice in Arabic answered. One man said, "We experienced the very thing they told us in school would never happen again."
Another told Marv, these attacks came just hours after the country commemorated the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht. A member of Chabad Amsterdam who was at the game told the Jerusalem Post, "I'm in shock now and hope that it will end soon. Didn't expect it at all. We'll try to help everyone, God willing."
Israeli fans indicated to journalist Raz Amir that they believe the attack was planned in advance. That's what makes this even more disturbing—this was a coordinated attack. It seems that, according to Amir, the police left the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans alone and did not provide any escort from when they boarded the trains and made their way to the hotels.
Quote: "The Dutch police sold us to the Arabs so that the Arabs would lynch us," one fan told him after escaping the attack and arriving at the Amsterdam airport injured and bloody. This seemed like a planned and organized pogrom in Amsterdam. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted, "A fan told journalist Eva Klass that they ran over him, pulling a knife on him. We were ambushed. The police have here abandoned us. Every fourth person walking the street is a Muslim who has come to attack Jews."
Naftali Bennett posted on Twitter to alert people to the situation. He said, "At these moments, Arabs are rampaging around and brutally beating Israeli tourists in a way that seems life-threatening." He wrote, "I'm calling on everyone who can to act by any means to save their lives; wake up!"
Bennett made posts in both Hebrew and English urging authorities to get involved. "Shocking pogroms against Jews in Amsterdam." Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv reported that the attacks were premeditated by groups of Arabs. They gathered in clusters of 5 to 10 in alleys and key exits from various train stations, particularly around Dam Square and the streets near the area.
It seems to be life-threatening: innocent people being run over, beaten, driven into a river, and more. His post in English said, "I call on the Dutch authorities to act immediately to prevent injuries and worse. Anybody that can act, please do so now." He tagged the Minister President of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, who has yet to address the situation.
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra confirmed in an official statement he was handling the incident, which he said had not yet ended, and the authorities in Amsterdam have not yet gained control. He added he was directly liaising with the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu. He also posted a hotline for Israelis and Jews in danger.
The Embassy of Israel to the USA posted additional hotlines. He said, "We're urging Israelis who are in need of assistance to call one of these numbers and take these numbers down if you are there or if you need help." The first one is +972-2-553-0315 or +31-634-138-229.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said the horrific scenes from Amsterdam echoed Europe's darkest history. Hundreds of fans of Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv were ambushed and brutally attacked in Amsterdam last night after the match against Ajax on the eve of Kristallnacht. When Jews in Nazi Germany faced brutal attacks, it is horrifying to witness anti-Jewish violence on the streets of Europe once again.
On Monday, Spain's AS newspaper reported that a pro-Palestinian group was planning to protest outside the stadium, targeting the Israeli team and its fans. On Tuesday, it was reported that in addition to Maccabi's regular security, Mossad agents would join the team to provide additional protection. Earlier on Thursday, the NL Times reported that several individuals had been arrested for riots; however, Amsterdam police did not confirm whether they were fans of the football club or pro-Palestinian supporters.
Additionally, the Diaspora Ministry said it had warned Dutch police about the high-risk situation and alerted them to three incidents ahead of the game. Unfortunately, the local forces failed in their mission of protecting Israeli football fans, wrote Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli.
The Netherlands is a location of both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, which have sought to place arrest warrants on Israeli officials. Now that, for me, in some ways, is the most telling of all—that this is the place where the ICC went after the Jewish people when they went after them for doing what? For protecting themselves.
So it is almost fitting and a proof of their anti-Semitism that this is where this happens—in the Netherlands, the heart of a place that has chosen to hide their anti-Semitism beneath the supposed virtue of just protecting the poor, downtrodden Palestinians. Of course, it's all nonsense, and we've seen that. How many times does that need to be proved to us? This is just another example.
I want to read to you the words of Steven Pollard, the former editor of the Jewish Chronicle. He said, "Throughout history, verbal and written Jew hate has always led to physical violence against Jews—always. Last night's pogrom in Amsterdam was thus entirely to be expected and will not be the last."
I hope he's wrong about that, of course, but when you look at what's happening—the demographics, the hatred that's being stoked up, and the weakness of Europe's leaders and police to really crack down on this anti-Semitism—it’s hard not to see how this kind of stuff isn't going to continue.
So Pollard says, "The only question was when and where such pogroms would begin, and it is grotesquely appropriate it was in the country that houses the ICC and ICJ, which are being used to punish the Jewish state for defending itself, for existing." Meanwhile, the authorities tell us "never again" while standing back and watching. The real slogan is "always again."
Here in the UK, the police do next to nothing as anti-Semitism is given a regular platform on the streets under the guise of anti-Zionism. Indeed, it is sometimes those who expose the anti-Semites who are confronted by the police. Islamists are invited to speak on campuses and in public spaces across the country. Hate preachers spread their poison with justified impunity, and harass lies are taken as gospel by credulous—that's being charitable—media.
We are in dark times, that's what he said. I want to read to you—this is Dr. Inat Wolf. This is, of course, a grotesque image showing Anne Frank with that Arab prop, "Palestine," draped around her neck. She wrote, “These are not just memes; they are plans."
I want to read to you the words of Charlotte Crach, senior educator at Stand With Us. She said, "They were hunted. They came to watch soccer to get a break from war. They were beaten and stabbed—possibly worse."
Now, in the city where Anne Frank hid for being Jewish, Jews are being told to hide. This time, though, we have a Jewish state, and two rescue planes are on their way to bring those Jews home. Now do you understand why we need a Jewish country?
Absolutely. These are the words of Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis: "Utterly devastating scenes from the Netherlands. Hateful mobs have chased down Jewish and Israeli football fans on the streets of Amsterdam after a match, violently beating them and proudly posting the footage on social media. Many are injured, and three people are currently missing. This should be a watershed moment for Europe and for the world when it realizes how severe the scourge of anti-Jewish hatred has become. Sadly, I fear it will not be, and that tragically, this will not be the last such attack, God forbid."
This has to be a wake-up call. The thing I'm concerned about, as exactly as the Chief Rabbi said, is that it won't be. I mean, you have BBC News talking about the fact that there have been clashes. It's just—unfortunately, this is getting so repetitive, their inability to call out evil and anti-Semitism.
That could potentially be Europe's downfall. Look, this is Joe Inwood from the BBC reporting, and he goes, "There are videos of a crowd believed to be Israeli fans cheering as a Palestinian flag is torn down from the side of a building. They could be heard chanting offensive anti-Palestinian slogans."
I'm sorry, but this is trying to create a moral equivalent. This is trying to somehow say you've got this on one side and good on one side and evil on the other side—but it’s not really like that. It's just two sides that are both provoking one another. I'm sorry; there is absolutely no justification whatsoever for singling out and hunting down Jews.
Oh, you had some Jews cheering when a Palestinian flag was taken down—a Palestinian flag which has only ever represented trying to kill the Jews and annihilate the Jews, which has basically no qualitative difference in terms of aims than the swastika.
How provocative that Jews were doing that! And even if it did happen, and even if you did consider that to be provocative or wrong—which I don't—that's one or two people doing that. Israel is doing that so that somehow makes some kind of justification or helps us understand how every Jew and Israeli in Amsterdam was being targeted.
This is the concern—will people wake up? I think one thing that we're realizing, and this is perhaps one source of hope amidst this darkness, is that what we're seeing, whether it's in elections or people's choices of media, we're seeing a growing, rising alienation among the masses in the Western world with the elites, with the media, with the institutions that are meant to keep them safe—like the police—with their political leaders, with celebrities, with sports culture, with NGOs.
They're growing alienated; they're thinking, "You just don't have moral clarity." So the hope is that the masses do actually hate what they're seeing and do stand with Israel. Let's not forget that Israel won very, very widespread support in the Eurovision Song Contest.
So what we're actually seeing is a group of people who are anti-Semitic, and they don't necessarily represent the majority of Europeans. But the question is: will Europe's leaders take the necessary action to bring this to a halt? That's the question—it’s the leadership; it's the elites, and that's the problem.
As exactly as I said before, organizations like the ICJ, which is based in the Netherlands—this is where this happened. Will the grassroots of Europe get to grips with their totally out-of-touch and morally confused leaders and institutions? That is the big question.
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