Saturday, May 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Ajax vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: What really happened in Amsterdam?

The situation in Gaza

Published 2 December 2024
– By Ivana Bratovanova

Violence erupted in Amsterdam following the UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 7, 2024. Tensions between rival football fans escalated into violent confrontations, leaving several injured and resulting in multiple arrests.

Moroccan-born State Secretary Nora Achahbar resigned in protest, criticizing the Dutch government’s handling of the events, which she claimed unfairly targeted immigrant communities.

On the night before the match, around 11 pm local time, four people were arrested after pro-Palestinian graffiti was sprayed at the Johan Cruyff Arena, where the game was scheduled to take place.

Later that night, a group of Maccabi fans reportedly tore down and burned a Palestinian flag from a building facade. Videos captured some supporters chanting slogans like “Ole” and “F— you Palestine”, while a taxi was vandalized. Following a call on social media, a group of Muslim taxi drivers reportedly headed to the Holland Casino, where approximately 400 Israeli supporters were gathered. Authorities quickly intervened, dispersing the group and escorting the supporters out of the casino.

Authorities reported “relatively small” confrontations continuing near the casino later that night.

We wil f— the Arabs”

The next day, at around 1 pm CET, Maccabi supporters gathered at Dam Square for a pro-Israel demonstration. Videos posted online captured some fans chanting anti-Arab slogans, such as “Death to the Arabs” and “Let the IDF win. We will f— the Arabs”. Another Palestinian flag was torn down during the demonstration, leading to two arrests.

A pro-Palestinian protest, initially planned outside the Johan Cruyff Arena during the match, was relocated by Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, to a remote location. The decision, aimed at preventing further clashes, was met with criticism from activists.

Targeted attacks after the match

After Ajax’s 5-0 victory, messages appeared on social media “confirming that there are groups that are looking for a confrontation with Maccabi supporters”, according to Tuesday’s report. Officials cited screenshots from messaging apps that called for a “Jew hunt”. Groups of masked youths on scooters and e-bikes targeted Maccabi supporters, chasing and assaulting them in what authorities described as “hit-and-run” attacks. At least five people were hospitalized, and 20 to 30 others sustained minor injuries.

Videos circulated showing people being kicked and beaten in the streets. In one clip, a man was heard shouting at a victim lying on the ground, “This is for the children! For the children, motherf—-r. Free Palestine now”. Another video showed men, some wearing Maccabi fan colors, picking up pipes and boards from a construction site before chasing and assaulting a man.

Later that night the Israeli ambassador contacted the mayor saying there was “lots of anger” in Israel over the events in Amsterdam. More footage in social media showed some Maccabi fans at the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport singing “Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left there”.

Police shoving pro-Palestinian supporters

Dutch police arrested 62 people, including Dutch and Israeli citizens. Four Dutch men remain in custody for further investigation. Authorities also launched a probe using CCTV and social media footage to identify perpetrators.

Two days later, on November 10, police detained 50 people at a pro-Palestinian rally for ignoring a protest ban. Another 340 individuals were transported by bus to the outskirts of the city. Critics accused the police of using excessive force, particularly against peaceful protesters.

Giordano Gronchi, a witness to these events, shares his experience with The Nordic Times:

I was present to take footage rather than protest outright, but things turned ugly quickly. Police began harassing protestors—pushing, shoving, and slamming into them. Protestors formed groups, but the police encircled them, tightening their rings with vans. They pulled people out, subdued them, and arrested many.

At one point, I moved to a group near Damrak street, where protestors were chanting and playing drums, entirely non-violent. Police in riot gear funneled them into Nieuwendijk street, announcing the protest was illegal. The street became a blockade, with riot officers sealing both ends. Customers from nearby stores were also trapped in the cramped space.

I was behind the police line filming when an officer shoved me into Nieuwendijk. I explained I wasn’t protesting, but I wasn’t listened to. Inside, I was told everyone in the blockade was under arrest. After showing my ID, I was let out. Later, I heard the police began beating people and arrested most protesters.

Investigations to focus on “antisemitic motives”

Rioters set fire to an empty tram and damaged several cars. A police car was also set alight. Videos posted on social media showed the attackers shouting “Free Palestine” and throwing fireworks and other objects at the tram. Dutch authorities made five more arrests.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attacks on Maccabi supporters as a “planned antisemitic attack” and compared them to the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom. Dutch King Willem-Alexander expressed concern about the violence, citing the Netherlands’ history of failing to protect its Jewish community during the Holocaust.

Following the events, Moroccan-born State Secretary Nora Achahbar resigned from the Dutch government in protest against what she described as racist remarks made by her colleagues. Achahbar’s resignation followed a cabinet meeting on November 11, where she openly criticized the language used by members of Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s administration to describe the violence in Amsterdam.

Achahbar expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s narrative, which she felt unfairly targeted immigrant communities, particularly Dutch-Moroccans, while ignoring provocations from Maccabi supporters. Opposition leaders have since voiced support for Achahbar, condemning the government’s handling of the situation and calling for greater accountability and transparency.

Investigations to determine the perpetrators are still underway. Authorities are focusing on identifying the perpetrators through CCTV and social media analysis. The public prosecutor has stated that the investigation will prioritize antisemitic motives behind the attacks. Additionally, a partial state of emergency was declared, allowing police to conduct random stop-and-search operations to prevent further violence.

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Jewish Power leader: “Time to go full force into Gaza”

The situation in Gaza

Published yesterday 13:48
– By Editorial Staff
Ben-Gvir has long been identified as one of Israel's most belligerent voices - and wants Gaza completely emptied of Palestinians.

Israel’s invasion and bombing of Gaza have been described as among the most extensive in modern times and condemned worldwide because of the high number of civilian casualties.

However, the country’s far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has long been one of the strongest voices calling for further escalation of the situation – now he is insisting that it is time for Israel to “go in with full force” into the already bombed-out territory.

Ben-Gvir, who also leads the Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party, believes that Israel should take control of both Gaza and the West Bank and has been criticized over the years, even in Israel, for praising Jewish terrorists and mass murderers.

Itamar Ben-Gvir also caused a major uproar when he attended the so-called “wedding of hate” in 2015, where guests celebrated the murder of a Palestinian family in the village of Duma. At the wedding, participants waved weapons and stabbed knives into a picture of the 18-month-old boy who was killed in the arson attack – an act that Ben-Gvir had previously defended.

The number of Palestinians killed during Israel’s invasion and bombings is unclear – but is estimated to be between 40,000 and hundreds of thousands.

However, given that Hamas has said that the new US-backed ceasefire proposal does not meet their demands, Ben-Gvir believes that too much caution has been exercised so far and that it is now time to seriously use military force.

Mr. Prime Minister, after Hamas rejected the deal proposal again – there are no more excuses, Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel.

– The confusion, the shuffling and the weakness must end. We have already missed too many opportunities. It is time to go in with full force, without blinking, to destroy, and kill Hamas to the last one.

Ben-Gvir’s definition of terrorists who must be eliminated includes, according to him, not only combatants but also all Palestinians who are considered to sympathize with the Islamist group.

He has also previously argued that it is difficult to determine which Palestinians belong to Hamas and which do not, and he has repeatedly argued that Gaza should be permanently emptied of Palestinians.

European diplomats forced to flee Israeli shelling

The situation in Gaza

Published 23 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Stock image - Israeli snipers in the West Bank.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has demanded that those responsible be “held accountable” after Israeli soldiers opened fire near a diplomatic delegation during a recent visit to the Palestinian city of Jenin in the West Bank, with several EU countries now demanding immediate explanations from Israel.

The delegation, which according to the Palestinian Authority included diplomats from the EU, France, Britain, Italy, Canada, Russia, China, Denmark, and other countries, had visited a refugee camp in Jenin when several shots were fired. No one was injured, but video footage shows delegates being forced to flee and seek shelter during the shooting.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry claims that the delegation left an “approved route” and was in an area where they “were not authorized to be”. The statement on social media claims that the soldiers fired “warning shots” to disperse the group.

Critics, however, are skeptical of the explanation and that it would be reasonable or proportionate to start shooting at a group of diplomats instead of trying to communicate with them.

– Any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable, Kallas said at a press conference on Wednesday. She emphasized that even so-called warning shots are considered gunfire and that those responsible must be “held accountable”.

“Unprovoked” attack

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) say they regret the incident and are launching an investigation. They promise to inform the countries concerned of the results, but at the same time do not acknowledge that their actions were wrong.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that a French diplomat was at the scene:

– A visit to Jenin, in which one of our diplomats was participating, was fired upon by Israeli soldiers. This is unacceptable, he said, announcing that Israel’s ambassador in Paris had been summoned for talks.

The German Foreign Ministry also reacted sharply:

– It was a matter of luck that nothing worse had happened, they wrote in a statement describing the shots fired by Israeli soldiers as “unprovoked”. Minister Johann Wadephul has spoken with diplomats on the ground and is demanding an explanation from his Israeli counterpart.

Demanding “convincing explanations”

Belgium’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Maxime Prévot, confirmed that a Belgian diplomat was also in the group.

– Fortunately, he is all right. Belgium demands convincing explanations from Israel, he said.

A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry called the incident a “heinous crime” and accused Israeli forces of deliberately firing live ammunition at an accredited international delegation.

Images of the incident, published by the Palestinian Authority, show chaotic scenes with delegates running in panic while shots are heard in the background.

Belgium’s aid office bombed

The incident occurred just one day after Kallas announced that the EU would review its association agreement with Israel – an agreement governing political and economic cooperation – citing Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe that followed in its wake.

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, wrote on social media that he too had summoned Israel’s ambassador to Rome to demand official clarification about the shooting in Jenin.

During Israel’s invasion and bombing of Gaza, a large number of journalists, photographers, aid workers, and UN personnel have been killed without any major consequences.

However, European diplomats and government officials have so far been relatively spared from the violence – even though the Israeli army bombed Belgium’s development aid office as recently as February this year. As far as is known, this incident did not lead to any significant consequences either.

Sources: US wants to expel Palestinians to Libya

The situation in Gaza

Published 18 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The US advises its own citizens against traveling to Libya - but at the same time, according to sources, it wants around one million Palestinians to be deported there.

According to multiple sources speaking to NBC News, Donald Trump’s administration is currently working on a plan to permanently relocate up to one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. However, the White House dismisses the claims as false and denies that any such plans exist at present.

The administration of former US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering permanently relocating up to one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya, NBC News reports, citing informed sources. The White House denies that any such plan exists.

Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly said the US is ready to take control of Gaza and turn the area into a “Riviera of the Middle East”. However, the proposals have faced strong opposition from other countries in the region, who argue that they violate international law, threaten regional stability and undermine the right of Palestinians to remain on their ancestral land.

According to NBC’s sources, the White House is now “seriously” considering a proposal to relocate about half of Gaza’s population to Libya. In exchange for Libya agreeing to take in the Palestinians, the US is reportedly prepared to release about $30 billion in Libyan assets that were frozen more than a decade ago.

NBC says talks have already been held with the Libyan leadership, but it is not clear which of the country’s rival governments has been involved in the discussions.

Civil war and chaos

Libya has been in a state of chaos since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. Today, the country is divided between two rival power centers: the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and the UN-backed Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) based in Tobruk.

Notably, the leader of the SSA, Abdulghani al-Kikli – also known as “Ghaniwa” – was killed just last Monday, sparking violent clashes in the capital. The US State Department today advised its own citizens against traveling to Libya at all because of “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict“.

The sources also state that Israel has been informed about the discussions between the US and Libya. However, no final agreement on a possible relocation of Palestinians has been reached yet and details on how or when such a plan could be implemented are described as “murky”.

A Trump administration spokesperson rejects the NBC reports as “untrue” and stressed that “situation on the ground (in Libya) is untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense”.

Trump wants to make Gaza an American “freedom zone”

The situation in Gaza

Published 15 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Many Palestinians are very hostile to the idea of Israel's main ally taking control of their homes.

Donald Trump has once again proposed that the US take control of the Gaza Strip and turn the entire area into a “freedom zone”.

However, what this would mean in practice for the population is highly unclear, and Palestinian activists emphasize that they have no interest in coming under US sovereignty.

During a visit to Doha, Qatar, Donald Trump reiterated his vision of the US “taking over” the Gaza Strip and creating a so-called freedom zone.

The statement comes in the middle of a regional tour and follows earlier heavily criticized proposals to transform Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East by moving the Palestinian population to neighboring countries and replacing them with “people from all over the world”.

– We are working very hard on Gaza and Gaza has been a territory of death and destruction, the president proclaimed, continuing:

– I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone.

Israel’s most important ally

He did not clarify exactly what a “freedom zone” means, nor has Trump previously provided details on how a relocation or reconstruction of Gaza would be carried out.

Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating in the war between Israel and Hamas, have seen peace negotiations stall in recent months, as large-scale displacement of Palestinians is rejected not only by the Palestinians themselves, but also by many Arab states.

Trump’s proposal raises questions about whether the people of Gaza have any interest in breaking Israeli occupation under American control. Since the outbreak of the war, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and most of the infrastructure destroyed, according to the UN. Many more have been injured or are missing under the rubble, and more and more voices are describing the situation as ongoing genocide.

Many Palestinian activists and outside observers point out that the US supports and has enabled Israel’s invasion, bombings, and war crimes, and that from a Palestinian perspective, it is hardly desirable for Israel’s closest ally, the US, to take control of the area.

Others emphasize that the Palestinian people want and have the right to independence and self-determination and to rule over their own territory without having to submit to either Israel or the US.

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