by ANIS RAISS
The western world and mainstream media have once again jumped on an opportunity to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism after Israeli football hooligans, protected by the Mossad, wreaked havoc on the streets of Amsterdam, deliberately provoking a harsh response.
For the first time in living memory, mainstream media has risen to defend football hooliganism. On 6 November, Tel Aviv’s traveling thugs arrived in Amsterdam, beginning their rampage by tearing down Palestinian solidarity flags, chanting racist slurs like “Let the IDF win to f** the Arabs,” and attacking taxi drivers.
By the night of 7 November, as their team faced Ajax, their provocations escalated into a full-blown spectacle of chaos, spilling into the city both before and after the match. Yet, in an extraordinary twist, the provocateurs who left a trail of havoc were transformed into victims. Imagine a rowdy guest smashing bottles at the bar, getting shoved out the door, and then calling the police to report being assaulted. That’s the level of irony we’re witnessing here — a tale as inflated as it is easily debunked.
The mainstream narrative, amplified by Israeli outlets, would have you believe Amsterdam had hosted a premeditated attack on Jews — a “pogrom” so harrowing that emergency evacuation flights were required to whisk the supposed targets to safety.
Dutch right-wing politicians and media wasted no time in seizing the moment, re-framing the incident to suit their agendas.
This investigation will unravel how the night’s events were weaponized — not only to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism, but to stoke fears of Islamic communities in Europe.
Beneath the headlines lies a more complex story: hooligan provocation, citizen frustration, and the calculated exploitation of crisis for political gain.
The timeline goes as follows:
6 November: The arrival of chaos
The chaos in Amsterdam began on 6 November, with the surreal sight of a state dispatching its premier intelligence agency to act as bodyguards for a fanbase notorious for racist chants and violent behavior. Mossad agents, ostensibly sent to ensure “security,” arrived alongside the first wave of Tel Aviv’s traveling hooligans.
Far from embodying the spirit of sportsmanship, these provocateurs wasted no time stirring tensions, tearing down Palestinian solidarity banners, and setting the stage for the disorder that would engulf the city in the days to come.
Israeli ‘Maccabi Tel Aviv’ fans did not only tear down Palestinian flags and chant violent slogans against Arabs – they also reportedly refused to respect the moment of silence held for the Valencia flood victims and intentionally interrupted it. pic.twitter.com/f3RYaPhaFS— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) November 8, 2024
Provocations begin: Palestinian solidarity banners, displayed by local residents in support of Gaza, became their first targets. These banners were torn down with an air of impunity, an act of symbolic violence that set the stage for further unrest.
The Cradle for more