Israeli soccer fans describe attack in Amsterdam

Israeli soccer fans have described being attacked by groups of young men in Amsterdam, with some suffering injuries including broken noses.

Adi Reuben, 24, said he was kicked to the ground and broke his nose when he and his friends confronted a group of more than 10 men on the way back to their hotel.

The men asked Mr. Reuben where he and his friends were from. “They were shouting 'Jewish, Jewish, IDF, IDF,'” he said, referring to the Israeli military.

According to police, the violence involved men on scooters committing “hit-and-runs” that were difficult to prevent.

“They started messing with me and I realized I had to escape, but it was dark and I didn't know where to go. I fell to the ground and ten people kicked me. They were shouting 'Palestine',” Mr Reuben told the BBC.

“They kicked me on the ground for about a minute then they walked away, they weren't afraid of anything.”

“I realized I was covered in blood My face and nose were broken and it hurts a lot.

Mr Reuben said he could not see properly for about 30 minutes but decided against going to hospital in Amsterdam because he had heard that taxi drivers were involved in the violence.

Instead, he said he was flying to Israel on Friday afternoon and would receive medical treatment there.

He added that it appeared to be “a specific, pre-organized attack.”

Some Israeli soccer fans said they were asked to show their passports if attacked.

Gal Binyanmin Tshuva, 29, told the BBC he was attacked outside a casino on Wednesday after watching another football match.

“We were faced with about 20 people running towards us. They asked me where I was from and I said I was from Greece. They said they didn’t believe me and wanted to see my passport.”

When he told them he didn't have it, the men beat him, pushed him to the ground and kicked him in the face, Mr Tshuva said.

“I don’t remember anything after that and I woke up in an ambulance with blood on my face and realized they had broken two of my teeth.”

Britons Aaron and Jacob, who are Jewish, told the BBC they went to the game but left early.

Afterward, they said they saw men shouting anti-Semitic threats and kicking an Israeli. They intervened, helped the man to his feet and started to leave.

Shortly afterwards, a group asked the men if they were Jewish, and Aaron replied that they were British.

“But they said, 'You helped the Jew,' and he hit me in the face and broke my glasses,” Aaron said.

“I was bleeding and had a black eye. I'm fine, but a little shaken.

The BBC has seen a photo of Aaron which shows a stream of blood running down his nose, his eye is swollen and other cuts can be seen on his face.

Esther Voet, editor-in-chief of a Dutch Jewish weekly newspaper, lives in the city center. She says she offered her home to Israeli fans after seeing footage of the violence.

“I told them that this is a Jewish home and you are safe here,” she told Israeli public broadcaster Kann. “People were really scared. I never thought I would go through something like this in Amsterdam.”

Dutch police said Israeli fans suffered “serious abuse” in “hit-and-run” attacks, many of which were carried out by young men on scooters.

Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla said it had proven difficult to prevent such attacks, even with a significant number of officers present.

The force ultimately decided to round up and protect Maccabi supporters before transporting them out of the area on buses, he said.

The attacks overnight Friday followed some tension between Maccabi fans and the people of Amsterdam in recent days, officials said.

On Wednesday, Maccabi fans attacked a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag, police chief Holla said.

There were further clashes on Dam Square on Thursday night, but police were able to largely separate the groups.

Some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have previously been involved in racist incidents in Israel, including insulting the team's Palestinian and Arab players and reportedly putting pressure on the team to expel them.

Fans of the team have also previously attacked protesters demonstrating against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Asked about video footage apparently showing Maccabi fans in Amsterdam chanting offensive slogans, Mayor Halsema said: “What happened last night has nothing to do with protest. There is no excuse for what happened.”

Additional reporting by Shaina Oppenheimer in Jerusalem