Dutch media reported on Sunday that a man working at a city casino, was involved in the violent attacks on Israeli soccer fans late last week.
The man who was employed by a subcontractor of the Holland Casino, was found to have been part of a social media group coordinating the violent assaults on Amsterdam streets after the match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv team and Ajax.
The hours-long attacks began as the fans returned to the city center after the game. Violent gangs awaited them on street corners and around their hotels.
The Holland Casino, where some of the Israelis sought shelter during the violence, condemned the attacks and said they have launched an investigation, the NOS channel reported.
“We informed his employers that he is no longer welcome here,” the Holland Casino said in a statement. “Staff working for the casino directly or through subcontractors of the casino, serve interests of the establishment, our employees and our guests, first and foremost, and that was not the case here.”
According to the headline in De Telegraph, Holland’s most read newspaper, the attacks were carried out by “boys on scooters” and cab drivers. The paper also wrote that in Telegram pages a call was made for a “hunt on Jews.”
The local media also reported that Israelis were still avoiding the use of taxis or Uber. The Jewish community organized an alternative pool of rides. “We helped them make their flights to Israel as quickly as possible,” one man told the paper. “They were given food, medical care if needed and were transported to the airport.”
Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam
The reports went on to say that of the 62 people who were arrested, only six remain in police custody. “They are suspected of violence and subverting public order. The prosecution will employ quick measures to bring them to trial.”
de Volkskrant reported that the coordinator for counter-terrorism and security (NCTV) said in an official statement that the attack on the Israeli soccer fans took place in parallel to the annual commemoration of Christal Nacht.
Netherland’s justice minister David Van Weel said there were indications of possible threats but not any concrete information about attacks on the memorial events or in other parts of the city, when 800 police officers were deployed in Amsterdam and elsewhere around the country. He said there may have been some disregard to Israeli warnings.
The minister added that in his view, everything points to the attacks being carried out against people because they were Jews.
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