2 IDF soldiers vacationing in Amsterdam rushed back to Israel amid arrest concerns
Conscripts had reportedly posted images from their time in Gaza war online as well as trip abroad, which were then used by anti-Israel group to track them down
Two IDF conscripts vacationing in Amsterdam were rushed back to Israel after pro-Palestinian groups got wind of their trip and were mobilizing to have arrest warrants issued for the pair.
According to Hebrew media reports Tuesday, it is the first time that conscripts have faced such a situation. Previous instances involved IDF reservists.
The two soldiers had posted photos on their social media accounts from their service in northern Gaza during the war, with some of the photos showing blindfolded Palestinian suspects.
The two soldiers also posted that they were heading to Amsterdam along with pictures from their trip while they were there.
Pro-Palestinian groups posted the soldiers’ information online and the pair were instructed by Israeli authorities to remain in their hotel room in case of the unlikely event that arrest warrants would be issued for them and the more likely concern that their safety was at risk, reports said.
They were whisked back to Israel and arrived safely.
מחשש לביטחונם: חיילים בסדיר טסו להולנד – ונדרשו לצאת מהמדינה בהקדםhttps://t.co/VWmn4esw2H | @KerenB_News pic.twitter.com/XpVOi8Rqvp
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) February 18, 2025
The Hind Rajab Foundation acknowledged tracking the soldiers, describing one of them as “a war criminal.”
In a post Tuesday to its X account the organization said, “Our lawyers moved on him, in silence. However, after some large accounts online started tagging us with their pictures, the Israelis were alerted and immediately smuggled” out of the Netherlands.
The army said in a statement it “emphasizes that IDF soldiers and commanders are required to follow information security and personal safety instructions.”
Soldiers, including those in the reserves, have been advised to delete any photos they posted to social media of their time in war zones. They have also been told to consider making their social media accounts private, enabling only acquaintances to access the information. Soldiers are also told to not publish information about trips they take abroad.
The soldiers’ flight back to Israel was paid for by PassportCard, an Israeli medical insurance group. PassportCard announced Monday it had set up a $1,000,000 fund to pay for emergency flights for soldiers who need to change their travel plans abroad to avoid possible arrests.
Antisemitic incidents in Amsterdam have spiked since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, taking 251 hostages, and sparking the war in Gaza. In November last year, coordinated attacks against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam sparked furious reactions around the world.
Israeli officials said 10 people were injured in the violence, while hundreds more Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Many said that Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found, as the Israeli tourists were ambushed by gangs of masked assailants who shouted pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans while they hunted, beat, and harassed them.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has sparked alarm in Israel recently by seeking the arrest of Israeli officials and soldiers traveling abroad over alleged war crimes. It is named after a 6-year-old girl who was killed in Gaza in January 2024. Her death was blamed on the IDF, but an initial probe conducted by the army said there were no troops in the area at the time.
Last month a reservist IDF soldier was forced to flee Brazil when the Hind Rajab Foundation sought to have him arrested after identifying that he was on vacation in the country.
In January, Channel 12 reported that the Foreign Ministry knows of at least 12 cases in which complaints have been filed abroad against Israel Defense Forces soldiers accusing them of war crimes in Gaza.
Such complaints have been filed in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Serbia, Ireland and Cyprus, the report said, citing figures presented in a ministerial meeting. According to the Haaretz daily, the list also includes South Africa and France.
