The pogrom that wasn’t

On November 6 and 7, fans of nan Israeli shot squad Maccabi Tel Aviv rampaged done Amsterdam up of a lucifer betwixt their squad and nan Dutch shot nine Ajax. They assaulted section residents, attacked backstage property, destroyed symbols of Palestinian solidarity, and chanted racist, genocidal slogans that glorified nan bulldoze of children successful Gaza and nan decease of each Arabs.

While nan Israeli fans were provided pinch a constabulary escort, pro-Palestine demonstrations were either cancelled aliases relocated. On nan nighttime of November 7, pursuing nan match, section residents responded to these events by attacking Maccabi fans. Five group were concisely hospitalised but later discharged and 62 group were arrested, 10 of whom were Israeli.

A letter, released by nan Amsterdam City Council and recounting nan events, noted that “from 01:30 onward [on Thursday night], reports of thoroughfare unit quickly declined”. The communicative could person ended there. It didn’t.

Overnight, nan Israeli propaganda instrumentality went into overdrive, and by Friday morning, nan world awoke to news that “anti-Semitic squads” had gone connected a “Jew hunt” successful Amsterdam.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog denounced nan “anti-Semitic pogrom”, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that subject planes would beryllium dispatched to evacuate Israeli citizens.

A activity of disinformation unleashed from Israel was replicated unchecked by Western media and nan accustomed cohort of Western leaders, each outdoing nan different astatine expressing nan astir outrage.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned nan “anti-Semitic attacks connected Israeli citizens” and King Willem-Alexander lamented that “we grounded nan Jewish organization … during World War II, and past nighttime we grounded again”. Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema condemned nan “anti-Semitic” attacks connected “Jewish visitors”, drafting comparisons pinch historical pogroms.

In nan pursuing days, nan “pogrom” communicative fell apart, arsenic much specifications and witnesser accounts surfaced. As nan particulate settled, 1 point became clear: Palestinian solidarity is stronger than ever, and Zionism is crumbling.

‘Weaponisation of Jewish safety’

As awesome Western media outlets sought to represent nan events of November 7 successful nan position nan Israeli authorities had outlined, galore grounded to instrumentality to nan facts. For example, while nan unit was presented arsenic “attacks connected Jews”, nary specified attacks were reported against nan section Jewish community.

On that day, a Kristallnacht commemoration, marking nan pogroms against Jews successful Germany successful 1938, was held successful peace. Throughout nan day, nary onslaught connected a Jewish institution was reported.

What is more, nan unit unleashed by nan Maccabi fans connected section residents was under-reported aliases not mentioned astatine each by Western mainstream media. The thought that possibly what happened was successful guidance to nan rampage of nan Maccabi fans, galore of whom are Israeli Army reservists, who were glorifying genocide and chanting decease to each Arabs, was ne'er entertained.

Members of nan section Jewish organization who had captious opinions of what happened were not platformed.

Erev Rav, a Dutch-based anti-Zionist Jewish collective, for example, called nan “weaponisation of Jewish information incredibly alarming” connected societal media. In an interview, nan writer Peter Cohen, a erstwhile sociology professor astatine nan University of Amsterdam, commented that “the Christian West has ever constructed forms of anti-Semitism, mild and lethal, doing devastating harm to Jews successful Europe”. But he was emphatic that “people who criticise Israel do conscionable that”, adding “this does not make them anti-Semites!”.

The rotation that Western mainstream media gave to nan communicative – that “anti-Semitic” Arabs and Muslims attacked Jews – fits into nan mendacious but ascendant communicative that anti-Semitism successful Europe is now exclusively harboured by Arab and Muslim immigrants. This not only fuels and normalises anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia, but besides downplays and obscures nan very existent and wide European anti-Semitism.

Palestinian solidarity

Following nan events of November 7, Amsterdam was placed nether an emergency ordinance, which outlawed protests, prohibited look coverings and permitted “preventative searches” by nan police. Local residents, peculiarly those who person regularly been demonstrating against Israel’s genocidal warfare successful Gaza, perceived this arsenic an undue and disproportionate infringement connected their correct to state of assembly and state of expression.

In defiance of a protestation ban, connected November 10, hundreds of group gathered successful Dam Square, including myself, successful solidarity pinch nan group of Palestine. Those who turned retired to protestation represented a wide spectrum of Amsterdam’s organization – we were young, old, Dutch, international, Arab, Muslim, Black, brown, white, and anti-Zionist Israelis, agreed successful our condemnation of Dutch complicity successful Israel’s genocide.

The constabulary responded by confiscating Palestinian flags, banners and philharmonic instruments, arresting group astatine random, and charging pinch batons. One female suffered a encephalon wounded arsenic a consequence of constabulary violence, according to her lawyer.

Some 340 people, including myself, were detained connected buses and driven done nan city, accompanied by respective constabulary vans and motorcycles. One mightiness person assumed from nan spectacle that nan buses were transporting hardened criminals. In fact, they were carrying unarmed bid activists detained for protesting genocide.

We were driven to an business property connected nan outskirts of Amsterdam and released, isolated from 1 Arab man who was arbitrarily singled out, arrested and taken away. Afterwards, each that remained of nan constabulary cognition was a drone overhead that monitored our movements.

As we made our measurement backmost to nan metropolis centre, cars began circling astir america and nan drivers beckoned for america to get in. They introduced themselves arsenic nan Moroccan drivers whose workfellow had been attacked by Maccabi fans connected November 6. In a heartwarming enactment of solidarity aft hours of constabulary repression, they drove america backmost to Amsterdam, making judge that we sewage location safely.

Protesters again defied nan objection prohibition connected November 13, pinch 281 group being detained and much acts of constabulary brutality.

Game complete for Zionism

At first glance, nan communicative that came to predominate governmental statements and media sum of nan unit successful Amsterdam and nan actions of nan Dutch authorities whitethorn look arsenic different PR occurrence for Israel. But it is not.

It is yet different denotation that nan demise of Zionism is close. We are witnessing a genocidal authorities successful nan throes of madness, making a last-ditch effort to realise a biblical imagination of creating a greater Israel by erasing nan Palestinian people.

As historiographer Ilan Pappe predicted successful a caller article, “once Israel realises nan magnitude of nan crisis, it will unleash ferocious and uninhibited unit to effort to incorporate it”. The hopeless effort to distort nan reality of events successful Amsterdam is suggestive of this panic, and nan willingness of Western leaders and mainstream media to spell on pinch this insanity is unforgivable.

Following a week of unrest, nan pro-Palestinian activity scored a mini victory: Amsterdam’s City Council passed a mobility recognising a “real and imminent genocide” successful Gaza and calling connected nan authorities to act. Meanwhile, Mayor Femke backtracked connected her “pogrom” statement, saying it was weaponised by Israeli and Dutch politicians. A cabinet minister and 2 parliamentarians resigned successful consequence to racist comments made wrong nan government, sparking a governmental situation and exposing cracks successful nan far-right government.

Though painstakingly slow, nan downfall of Zionism has begun, and calls for a liberated Palestine are louder than ever.

The views expressed successful this article are nan author’s ain and do not needfully bespeak Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.