Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv hooligans awarded compensation after Amsterdam street violence

A number of Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans who were part of hooligan clashes on the streets of Amsterdam in November are being given financial compensation, according to a Tel Aviv-based law firm on Friday.

The payments are being issued through the Netherlands’ Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, which recognises personal harm based on medical documentation and categorized levels of injury, as reported by Ynet News.

The incident involved violent clashes between the notoriously racist football 'ultras' of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax fans, as well as pro-Palestine protesters.

Chanting anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab slogans, fans of the Israeli club gathered in central Amsterdam , with eyewitnesses saying gangs of Israeli thugs first instigated violence  by ripping down a Palestinian flag from a house in Amsterdam city centre, an act which has been caught on several online videos.

The videos showed dozens of hooded Maccabi fans dressed fully in black chanting “F**k you Palestine” and cheering “ole” as one of them climbed up the front of a building and ripped down a Palestinian flag on the Rokin, a street in the Dutch capital. 

Maccabi hooligans were also reported to have begun attacking Arab residents in the Dutch capital earlier, as well as chanting obscene racist slogans against Palestinians and Arabs.

As reported by the Clash Report, the Maccabi fans, who were protected by police, "chanted anti-Arab slurs and a genocidal song in Amsterdam", including lines such as "there are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left", "Let the IDF win to f**k the Arabs" and "F**k you Palestine".

This then prompted Ajax fans and pro-Palestine protesters to retaliate against the Israeli fans.

Despite the numerous eyewitness testimonies, videos and initial media reports, the world media, and even global government officials including then US President Joe Biden, falsely depicted the clashes as antisemitic attacks, whitewashing the role that Maccabi hooligans played in instigating the violence. 

Only 10 people were reported injured at the time.

Compensation amounts range from €1,000 to €35,000 ($1,080–$37,750), divided into six categories based on the severity of physical or emotional harm. Victims with both alleged physical and psychological injuries, or multiple injuries, may qualify for higher categories, according to Ynet.

James Montague, an expert on football ultra groups and fan violence, told The Guardian at the time that the event had been "politicised" by Israel and that Maccabi ultras had instigated the violence.

Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv. particularly their ultras known as the 'Fanatics', have gained a reputation for racist and violent activities. In recent years, they have been fined by Israel's own footballing authorities for racist chants against Palestinian citizens of Israel.