Dutch red card for anti-Semitic violence

Hard-right politician Geert Wilders fans flames with ‘Jew hunt’ claim.

Police detain a protester during an unauthorised pro-Palestinian demonstration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Amsterdam on Wednesday night after Dutch MPs clashed in parliament over anti-Semitic violence last week in the capital.

At least two people were arrested as demonstrators in central Dam Square were met with a heavy police presence after a recent order banned such gatherings. The crowd was asked to move to a park in the west of the city where they had permission to demonstrate.

Hard-right politician Geert Wilders claimed earlier in the day that those responsible for attacking Israeli football fans last Thursday had “hatred in their DNA”.

Opposition politicians accused the him of “pouring oil on the fire” and said his statements were not conducive to “a better society”.

During a debate in The Hague, Mr Wilders, whose party won the Dutch elections last year and dominates the country’s right-wing coalition headed by Dick Schoof, the Prime Minister, said: “There is anarchy in Amsterdam, the scum is in charge ... The Muslims who have hatred of Jews in their DNA, those Muslims will never be allowed to feel safe as far as I’m concerned.

“That is why we have to deal with those people very hard. The time for patting them on the head is over.”

He spoke of a “Jew hunt”, blamed violence on “Moroccans” and repeated calls to deport dual-nationals found guilty of anti-­Semitic attacks. He said police should be given access to the messaging groups used to co-ordinate attacks.

Frans Timmermans, leader of the Green-Labour opposition alliance, said: “No human being has hate in his DNA. Hate can be unlearned. You dismiss an entire group.”

He added: “What you (Mr ­Wilders) are doing is just stirring things up, dividing this country when this country needs politicians who bring people together.”

The debate came after a football match between Amsterdam’s Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv led to attacks on Israeli fans in Amsterdam last Thursday.

Sixty-two people were arrested during the violence, with 49 living in The Netherlands and 10 in Israel.

Dutch state television has broadcast five blurred images of suspected ringleaders and unless suspects come forward, their full pictures are due to be published on Friday.

Before the match, Maccabi fans tore down a Palestinian flag from a house, chanted anti-Arab slurs and celebrated the military action in Gaza. After the game, Maccabi fans were targeted in “hit-and-run” attacks, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.

The violence was so shocking that the Dutch king apologised to Israel for “failing the Jewish community of The Netherlands” for a second time, following events of World War II.

The exchanges in the Dutch parliament came before another potential flashpoint involving an Israeli side, as the country’s ­national team prepared to play France in Paris on Thursday night.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has announced that more than 4000 police will be deployed in and around the Stade de France. He rejected calls for the match to be moved to a “neutral” country. France has Europe’s biggest Jewish and Muslim populations. “France does not back down, since that would amount to surrendering to threats of violence and anti-Semitism,” he said.

President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Michel Bar­nier are to attend the match.

THE TIMES