In Amsterdam, clashes trigger a divisive blame game as old wounds reopen

Amsterdam, nan Netherlands – More than a week aft clashes successful Amsterdam, Tori Egherman, a Jewish writer and interrogator who has lived successful nan Dutch superior for 20 years, still feels angry.

As she sits successful a cafe, nan poster supra her, featuring a achromatic dove, sounds “Peace now”.

The image was created by Dutch schematic designer Max Kisman erstwhile Israel’s latest warfare connected Gaza began and has been distributed free of complaint to tens of thousands since.

“What makes maine angry is that they come, enactment successful nan astir convulsive and racist ways, and past time off america to cleanable up their mess,” she said of nan Israeli shot nine fans progressive successful past week’s violence.

“This section only makes Jews and Muslims suffer nan most. If we are much divided and can’t activity together, there’s small we tin do arsenic communities to amended nan existent situation.”

Tori Egherman, a writer and researcher, believes nan caller clashes successful Amsterdam were ‘provoked’ [Giovana Fleck/Al Jazeera]

On November 8, fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv who had travelled to support nan Israeli squad playing nan Dutch group Ajax vandalised Palestinian flags and chanted racist, dehumanising slogans.

There were “no children” near successful Gaza they chanted, arsenic they called for nan Israeli service to “win”, promising to “f**k nan Arabs”.

They besides attacked nan homes of city-dwellers pinch Palestinian flags astatine their windows.

As they headed to nan lucifer connected November 9, they again chanted racist slogans.

After nan match, Ajax having won by 5-0, Maccabi fans were chased and attacked by groups connected ft and connected scooters successful what world leaders, including United States President Joe Biden, person called an enactment of anti-Semitic violence.

Five group were hospitalised, dozens were arrested, and policing has been heightened since.

“I americium not saying that nan unit wasn’t anti-Semitic. I really deliberation it was some provoked and anti-Semitic,” said 62-year-old Egherman, who immigrated from nan US.

She added that complete nan years, she has witnessed “a batch of Jews who get called retired for utilizing a kippah – for illustration galore Muslim women are excessively for utilizing a hijab”.

However, she said anti-Semitism is “only acknowledged if it doesn’t travel from personification who’s achromatic and Dutch”.

‘This was wholly expected’

Local activistic Sobhi Khatib, a 39-year-old Israel-born Palestinian who arrived successful Amsterdam decades ago, said, “The much you break down this incident, nan much you spot really this was wholly expected.”

Khatib recalled student-led pro-Palestine protests earlier successful 2024, erstwhile constabulary utilized batons against demonstrators.

“The unit from past week is an escalation of nan organization unit that has been coming and normalised successful Dutch society, particularly since [Geert] Wilders was elected past November,” he said, referring to nan Islamophobic leader who leads nan far-right Party for Freedom (PVV). The PVV triumphed successful 2023, becoming nan largest statement successful nan House of Representatives.

Palestinian activistic Sobhi Khatib worried that wearing a keffiyeh successful Amsterdam would make him susceptible to attacks [Giovana Fleck/Al Jazeera]

In caller days, nan Dutch authorities has tried to exert power connected activists.

After nan clashes, Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema issued an emergency decree banning protests. But some, enraged by Israel’s genocide of Palestinians successful Gaza, person defied nan measure.

Frank van der Linde, an activistic and organiser successful Amsterdam, tried to conflict nan prohibition legally.

“We person to conflict against this repression by each non-violent means,” he said, adding that preventing free look risks further disruption. “The politician is shooting herself successful nan foot.”

In a tribunal case, he based on that nan decree breached quality rights. The tribunal ruled connected November 11 that nan prohibition was legitimate.

“Repression is simply a trend,” concluded van der Linde.

‘This conflict profoundly impacted nan Dutch Moroccans’

The Netherlands is location to a ample Muslim number who comprise astir 5 percent of nan population.

Most person roots successful Morocco and Turkey.

The country’s narration pinch Dutch Moroccans successful peculiar is often uneasy.

“There is simply a batch of Moroccan scum successful Holland who make nan streets unsafe,” Wilders said successful a 2017 predetermination campaign. “If you want to regain your country, make nan Netherlands for nan group of nan Netherlands again, past you tin only ballot for 1 party.”

“This conflict profoundly impacted nan Dutch Moroccans successful nan city, overmuch much than nan Palestinians,” said Khatib.

Dutch Moroccan student Oumaima Al Abdellaoui, 22, usually spends her clip visiting schools to talk to pupils astir cohesion. In 2019, she co-authored a book astir nan 2 cultures successful Dutch society.

“Everyone successful my communities, some nan Islamic organization and nan Dutch Moroccan community, is frightened and angry complete nan blasted game. We don’t cognize what’s coming next,” she said, adding that nan organization is often wrongly blamed for societal woes specified arsenic a deficiency of lodging aliases crime.

“There’s a heavy emotion of not being understood and not being protected by nan authorities aliases nan police.”

She utilized nan Dutch word “tweederangsburger” to picture nan emotion among galore Dutch Moroccans, meaning “second-class citizen”.

The attacks against nan Maccabi fans were condemnable, she said.

“Violence should ne'er beryllium used. But this unit is simply a consequence of a build-up of marginalisation, racist politics, and racism wrong nan constabulary force.”

As protesters proceed to defy bans, debates rage connected responsibility, and number communities successful nan Netherlands stay fearful, while Israel’s warfare successful Gaza goes on.

To date, almost 44,000 Palestinians – astir of them women and children – person been killed since October 7, erstwhile Hamas launched an incursion into confederate Israel during which 1,139 group were killed and much than 200 were taken captive.

Jelle Zijlstra, a 37-year-old Amsterdam-born Jewish theatre head and activist, worries that nan far-right and anti-immigration governmental groups successful nan Netherlands will capitalise connected nan thoroughfare clashes for years to come.

“While each this happened, we forgot to attraction connected nan group who are suffering nan astir successful Gaza,” he said.

“What we saw past week seemed for illustration a scary equivalency that Jews and Muslims are earthy enemies … Our officials person been rather picky successful what types of anti-Semitism they condemn, usually nan type that suits their agenda. Therefore, they are utilizing Jews to deflect racist policies and Islamophobic rhetoric.”

Prime Minister Dick Schoof has termed nan riots and attacks arsenic “unadulterated anti-Semitic violence”, saying location is simply a “big quality betwixt destroying things and hunting Jews”.

While he has touted nan anticipation of stripping passports of “those who person turned distant from society” referring to suspects down nan attacks connected Israeli fans, he has said nan Maccabi supporters’ unit will beryllium investigated.

When contacted by Al Jazeera, Amsterdam’s main of constabulary sent a connection that acknowledged nan harassment of those sympathetic to nan Palestinian origin but concluded that supra all, “I tin ideate that Israelis consciousness unsafe … their wellbeing is our apical priority.”

The agency of Amsterdam’s politician said Halsema’s privilege was restoring bid and order, and she was truthful unavailable for comment.

Joana Cavaco, a 28-year-old personnel of Erev Rav, an anti-Zionist Jewish corporate based successful nan Netherlands, based on that blaming group of Arab backgrounds for anti-Semitism is improbable to easiness tensions and limits unfastened discussions astir Europe’s domiciled successful nan Holocaust.

“Anti-Semitism is simply a portion of Dutch society, it is rooted successful this culture,” she said. “When it comes to Holocaust memory, nan Dutch constituent their fingers astatine nan Germans, without acknowledging that group from nan Netherlands person allowed Jews to dice successful attraction camps. Those are nan questions that we effort and judge should beryllium addressed to mitigate anti-Semitism. This provides safety.”

She added that ensuring nan information of Palestinians will besides lead to nan protection of Jewish people.

Khatib, nan Palestinian activist, said erstwhile nan Maccabi Tel Aviv fans arrived successful Amsterdam, he avoided wearing his keffiyeh successful public.

“I was afraid,” he said.

He remains pessimistic astir nan early of Amsterdam’s pro-Palestine movement, particularly if nan nationalist sermon fails to evolve.

At nan extremity of nan interview, different pro-Palestine protestation was emerging astatine Amsterdam’s Dam Square, a short region away.

Khatib placed his keffiyeh astir his shoulders, making judge that it was visible moreover complete his rainfall jacket.