Israel tells citizens not to attend cultural and sports events abroad after Amsterdam violence
3191 Min Read
The Israeli government has told its citizens not to attend cultural or sports events abroad over the next days following violence in Amsterdam.
The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed it has intelligence that pro-Palestinian groups overseas intended to harm Israelis in cities in the Netherlands, the UK, France, Belgium and others.
The travel advice covers events that involve Israelis.
It comes after Israeli football fans were attacked in the Dutch capital on Thursday following a match between local side Ajax and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were taken away by police during a banned demonstration in Amsterdam after “antisemitic” violence in the wake of the game.
Hundreds of people had defied an order banning protests and gathered in the city’s Dam Square, chanting “Amsterdam says no to genocide” and “free Palestine”.
A three-day ban on demonstrations was brought in on Friday, following violence that erupted on Thursday after the Europa League game.
The ban was later extended for four more days until next Thursday.
In Paris, police said that 4,000 police officers will be deployed for Thursday’s football match between France and Israel.
President Emmanuel Macron will attend the game, a gesture aimed at sending “a message of fraternity and solidarity after the intolerable acts of antisemitism that followed the match in Amsterdam”, his office said.
