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Rabat – Following clashes between Ajax pro-Palestinian fans and Israeli hooligans in Amsterdam, Moroccan communities have become the victims of a disturbing wave of hatred and racism.
On Thursday night, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans appeared on viral videos clashing with pro-Palestine Ajax supporters in Amsterdam, ahead of a Europa League match between the two teams.
Online videos Israeli rioters marching, waving Israeli flags and tearing down Palestinian flags on their way.
Some of the videos also show the group chanting slurs and slogans against Arabs and Muslims.
After the incident, the Israeli and Dutch governments have strongly condemned the violence, pointedly focusing on the violence shown towards the group Israelis and not the Islamaphobic acts they were committing.
However, the Dutch media shows a different story. Since the incident, there has been an influx of media personalities and political figures blaming Moroccans for the entire situation.
This blame is unfounded, however, as official reports have confirmed that Israeli supporters were attacked but haven’t included any details implicating Moroccans in the incidents.
Dutch news outlet NOS quoted a statement from Amsterdam authorities saying that rioters “actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and beat them,” adding that there was no “excuse for the antisemiticantisemtici behavior” displayed on Thursday.
The statement, however, refrained from identifying the nationalities or backgrounds of those involved.
This has not stopped the rising amount of anti-Moroccan sentiment that is being posted online.
Moroccans under attack within Dutch media
Sander Sassen, who identifies as an opinion maker for NieuwRechts outlet, accused Moroccans of causing the chaos in Amsterdam, claiming thevideos primarily show that Moroccan youth “ruthlessly hunted Jews in downtown Amsterdam.” The group is a popular news outlet for far right supporters in the Netherlands.
“My astonishment and concern for the Jewish community in Amsterdam grew,” Sassen posted on X.
He also slammed the city’s mayor in his post for not cracking down on Muslim comunities,, sharing anti-Muslim remarks saying “Islamic youths loudly shout ‘Allah Akbar’ through the streets in the search of defenseless Jews.”
In a statement following the attacks, Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema stated:“Despite the massive police deployment in the city, Israeli supporters were injured.” She added in her Instagram post that the exact number of victims and people arrested was not yet clear.
The politician has gotten criticism from far-right supporters in the Netherlands for quite some time for being too nice to the Muslim community. The name “Halalsema” is currently trending on X in the country, combining her name with the word “halal.”
In addition to Sassen, many other media personalities have been expressing increasingly hostile rhetoric against Moroccans, accusing them of being involved in the violence that unfolded in Amsterdam.
Critics have condemned politicians for failing to call out Moroccans, specifically, despite lack of clear evidence.
“Rioter no idiots, Islamic Turkish and Moroccan Muslims, that is! Call out the problem already,” one commenter wrote on X.
Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), who is already known for his hostility toward immigrants, including Moroccans, also commented on the situation. He criticized Dutch authorities, saying that they will be “held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens,” in a post on X.
He described the situation as a “pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam.”
“We have become the Gaza of Europe. Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews. I will not accept that. NEVER,” he further wrote.
With far-right, anti-immigrant sentiment on the rise, the Netherlands has already has a troubled history with racism, marked by numerous incidents targeting minority groups.
Politicians have long rallied against immigration, with a particular focus on Moroccans, fueling negative stereotypes and deepening societal decisions. The Moroccan diaspora is strong in the Netherlands, with the population currently totaling around 419, 272.
Wilders, an Islamophobic populist, was convicted of discrimination and inciting hatred after he referred to the Moroccan community in the country as a “scum” during a campaign rally back in 2014.
He was convicted and challenged for his remarks in 2016, and a court upheld the conviction in July of 2021.
As more news circulates about Thursday’s clash, the Moroccan diaspora is facing a hostile environment as the Islamaphobic rhetoric continues to rise in Dutch media circles.
