At Amsterdam attack trial, prosecutor claims violence ‘not motivated by antisemitism’
A month after shocking gang attack on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, 7 suspects — including Gazan man accused of attempted murder — appear in court, with 6 others to be tried separately
AMSTERDAM — Prosecutors on Wednesday called for two years in jail for a man suspected of punching and kicking Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam during the first day of the trial over the night of violence that sparked accusations of antisemitism.
The 22-year-old, identified as Sefa O, was one of five suspects appearing before an Amsterdam court on charges relating to the rampage following a November 7 match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Dutch capital.
Maccabi supporters suffered “hit-and-run” attacks in the city center following calls on social media to target them, prompting allegations from Dutch and Israeli politicians of antisemitic motives.
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.
Police said they were investigating at least 45 people over the violence. Some social media posts had included calls to “hunt Jews,” according to police. The attacks followed two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalize a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag.
The court saw images of a man alleged to be O kicking a person on the ground, chasing targets and punching people in the head and the body. The suspect played a “leading role” in the violence which “had little to do with football,” the prosecutor alleged.
However, the prosecutor averred: “In this case, there was no evidence of… a terrorist intent and the violence was not motivated by antisemitic sentiment.”
“The violence was influenced by the situation in Gaza, not by antisemitism,” claimed the prosecutor.
O, who sat hunched and looking down at his hands during the trial, said he “very much regretted his presence” at the violence and that he wanted “to start a new life” with his family.
“My wife is pregnant. For my family and my parents, I have decided from now on only to hang around with good people,” said O, who handed himself into police and has since been in detention.
Prosecutors called for a second suspect, named as Lucas D., to receive a six-month jail sentence for throwing stones at police and illegal possession of fireworks. He also stands accused of being part of a Snapchat group that incited violence against the Israeli fans.
The five men, ranging in age from 19 to 32, are facing a three-judge bench at the Amsterdam District Court in staggered appearances. Two more suspects are to appear on Thursday as well as a third man whose case spilled over on Wednesday.
All seven have been charged with public violence.
The last man to appear on Wednesday, Abushabab M., 22, who is facing the most serious charge of attempted manslaughter, sat sobbing while his case was heard.
Judges had to postpone his case to Thursday because there was no translator available for the Arabic-speaking suspect, who was born in the Gaza Strip.
His lawyer, Anis Boumanjal, told judges that his client “is a young, vulnerable suspect with a life story that cuts to the bone,” because he had grown up in a war zone.
M. was “most likely suffering from a psychological disorder,” his lawyer said, adding it should be a mitigating circumstance in his sentencing.
A further six suspects are set to appear at a later stage. Three of these suspects are minors and their cases will be heard behind closed doors.
“Charges have also been laid against Maccabi fans, who displayed provocative behavior before the game,” the Dutch Public Prosecution Service said in a statement.
The incident sparked a debate over polarization between Amsterdam’s various communities.
At the time, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said the city had been “deeply damaged” by “hateful antisemitic rioters” after a night of “unbearable” violence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the violence at the time as a “premeditated antisemitic attack,” a description repeated by the Lawfare Project Jewish civil rights organization at court on Thursday.
“They [Maccabi fans] were attacked simply because they were Jewish,” the organization’s director of litigation Ziporah Reich told journalists.
The court is expected to give its verdict in the cases on December 24.
