After the European football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, fans of the Israeli club were injured in violence with pro-Palestinian youth. According to police, the rioters were actively looking for Israeli supporters. The news that violence was used against Israeli football supporters in Amsterdam during the night from Thursday to Friday led to indignant reactions at home and abroad.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof entered into discussions with representatives of the Jewish community in Amsterdam on Friday evening. There was discussion about “the impact that the events have on them”, reports a spokesperson for the Prime Minister. It was a private conversation, “so that they can speak to each other in peace.” Schoof spent most of the day at an informal EU summit in Budapest. He did not cancel the visit on Friday morning, but ultimately returned earlier than planned.