Amsterdam Unrest Sparks Debate on Islamophobia and Antisemitism
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema retracted her initial description of recent riots targeting Israeli soccer fans as a "pogrom," stating that the term was being used to unfairly target the city's Moroccan-Muslim community. The riots, which followed an Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv game, involved violence against individuals suspected of being Jewish or Israeli. Halsema faced criticism and a no-confidence vote from conservative politicians, while also accusing the Israeli government and Dutch politicians of using the term "pogrom" as propaganda. Amsterdam police are investigating 45 suspects for serious violent crimes related to the riots.