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‘Pogrom’ or ‘Zionist provocation’: What happened in Amsterdam?

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The events that took place last Thursday after the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match in Amsterdam are being presented by the mainstream European and Israeli media as an ‘attempted pogrom’ against Jews.

Scores of people were injured and dozens arrested in the clashes between Maccabi fans and the Arab and Muslim communities living in Amsterdam.

Some media and politicians claimed that a ‘Jew hunt’ had begun in Amsterdam, and countries outside the Netherlands, notably Germany, condemned the ‘anti-Semitic violence’.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, described the attacks as ‘anti-Semitic hit-and-run teams’ and imposed a temporary three-day ban on demonstrations from Friday to Sunday.

It was also claimed that the Israeli government was planning to send a military plane to evacuate its citizens in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a video statement that he had ordered the country’s spy agency, Mossad, to prepare a plan to prevent violence at international events. “I have instructed the head of the Mossad [David Barnea] and other officials to prepare our approach, our warning system and our organization for a new situation,” Netanyahu said.

Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy on anti-Semitism, tweeted on Thursday night that the attacks were ‘reminiscent of a classic pogrom’, a post that received more than 655,000 views in 12 hours.

The battle within the coalition has begun: Wilders wants expulsion

Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), the largest player in the government coalition, was quick to blame the incidents on ‘anti-Semitism’ and ‘irregular immigration’.

While Wilders and the PVV called for the deportation of all migrants involved in the riots, the coalition partner People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and its leader Dilan Yesilgöz rejected this.

“In response to the PVV’s call to ‘expel all rioters in the country”, Yesilgöz said that ‘realistic plans should be made’ because most of these people could not be expelled because they were born in the Netherlands.

Wilders, on the other hand, referred to previous governments and said that the VVD had allowed the country to be ‘flooded with rebels’. According to the PVV leader, ‘anti-Semitism’ has increased as a result.

Speaking to Harici, Manchester Metropolitan University behavioral analyst and YouTuber Thomas Karat, who lives 15 minutes from Amsterdam, said it was ‘reasonable’ to expect Wilders to use the programme to intensify his own anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda.

Wilders has built much of his political career on a hardline stance against Muslim immigration and a rhetoric of defending ‘Western values’ against what he portrays as threats from Islamic communities,” Karat said, pointing out that by describing what happened in Amsterdam as a ‘pogrom’ or ‘Jew hunt’, Wilders and like-minded politicians could use this narrative to foment fear and division by positioning Muslim communities as ‘aggressors against a vulnerable Jewish minority’.

Karat argued that by framing the incident in such harsh terms, Wilders was aligning himself with a broader ideological narrative that portrays Muslim migrants not only as incompatible with Dutch values, but also as ‘inherently violent’, and suggested that the ground could be prepared for ‘a kind of reverse witch-hunt against Muslim migrants’.

Maccabi hooligans terrorize Amsterdam streets

However, both Dutch Jewish organizations and local journalists point out that the situation is not as portrayed in the European media.

A report in the Forward, a New York-based Yiddish-English Jewish publication, quotes some Dutch Jews as saying that the incidents were instigated by Maccabi hooligans.

Witnesses said groups of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters spent Tuesday night (5 November) and Wednesday night (6 November) in the city center chanting racist anti-Arab slogans, climbing buildings to remove the Palestinian flag from windows and assaulting a Moroccan taxi driver.

Jelle Zijlstra, a Jewish ‘community organizer’ in Amsterdam, made a post on Instagram that went viral, saying that ‘multiple realities can exist at the same time’.

In her post, Zijlstra drew attention both to the attacks on Israelis and to footage of Maccabi fans shouting ‘F*** Palestine’ and ‘There are no more children in Gaza’ the night before.

In an interview, Zijlstra said: “There was definitely anti-Semitism in some of the incidents. Were Jews attacked in the street? Yes, but these Jews were also violent hooligans.”

New York Times: Everyone agrees the Maccabees instigated the incidents

A New York Times report on the events in Amsterdam stressed that there was no doubt about how the events began.

“Most community leaders in Amsterdam agree on the basic facts,” the NYT wrote, adding, “They largely agree that some Israeli supporters stoked the anger of the city’s Muslim population by shouting inflammatory and racist slogans, including that there were ‘no more children’ in Gaza, defacing the Palestinian flag and vandalizing a taxi.”

According to the report, there was also a consensus that Israeli fans were also subjected to hit-and-run attacks in various locations, often on bicycles and on foot, and that ‘some attackers appeared to have chosen their victims because they were Jewish’.

According to the BBC, some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have previously been involved in racist incidents in Israel, swearing at the team’s Palestinian and Arab players and reportedly calling for their expulsion.

The team’s fans have previously attacked protesters demonstrating against Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Behavioral analyst Thomas Karat told Harici that terms such as ‘pogrom’ and ‘Jew-hunt’ used by Dutch politicians are very ‘loaded’ words, but news reports and eyewitness accounts cast doubt on these claims.

“News reports and eyewitness accounts show that some Maccabi fans were actively involved in provocations such as aggressive chanting and vandalism of Palestinian symbols, which led to clashes with local groups,” Karat said, adding that this information “undermines the Israeli fans’ narrative of pure victimization” and raises the possibility that Maccabi fans were not only subjected to aggression, but were actually participants and possibly instigators of the clashes.

Karat recalled that some Jewish organizations had also acknowledged this dynamic, suggesting that the actions of Israeli fans had played a role in inflaming tensions.

Dutch intelligence said there was ‘no threat to Israeli fans’

On the other hand, Sheher Khan, a Muslim member of Amsterdam’s city council who was also quoted in the NYT article, said she had asked the mayor beforehand to play the match without spectators.

“If you invite a club from Israel, it will inevitably lead to demonstrations and clashes,” said Khan, who fears violence at the match and is angry that the Dutch government continues to support Israel’s campaign of genocide in Gaza.

According to Khan, the mayor refused the request, and Mayor Femse Halsema’s office confirmed this.

Halsema, a member of the Dutch Green Party, told a press conference after the attacks that she had been told several times by the Dutch national coordinator for security, and counterterrorism that there was no concrete threat to Israeli fans.

Attacks by Israeli hooligans

Tori Eghermann, an American Jew who moved to Amsterdam 20 years ago, said she saw Maccabi fans singing and lighting smoke bombs as she walked through Dam Square in the city center on Thursday night. They were really incredibly well organized and excited,’ she said.

Eghermann noted that violent clashes between locals and racist football hooligans are not uncommon in Amsterdam, pointing out that football fan groups ‘are not known for their peaceful presence in society’.

Israeli fans later clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators, singing ‘F… you Palestine’ and shouting ‘Let the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] beat the shit out of the Arabs’.

According to Ori Goldberg, an Israeli academic who studies sports culture, ‘Maccabi Tel Aviv is the mainstream of the mainstream’. But Goldberg said: “(…) the behavior of the supporters is now very Israeli: the world already hates us because the world hates Jews, so we will take our struggle and our cause wherever we go.”

No attacks on local Jews

Asjer Waterman, who also works as a strategic advisor for a local non-profit organization called Jewish Social Work, spent Friday helping Israeli fans as volunteers moved them to a safe place provided by a Jewish sports club in Amsterdam.

Waterman noted that the violence did not appear to target Dutch Jews or Jewish institutions, but only Israeli visitors.

Still, Waterman said, many in the community were ‘still shaken’.

Amsterdam police publish attacks by hooligans

In addition, the Amsterdam police released a statement giving an account of the incidents and revealing what the Israeli hooligans did.

The police spokesman confirmed that the hooligans climbed a building with a Palestinian flag and vandalized a taxi in Rokin, one of the central areas of Amsterdam.

A Palestinian flag was burned in Dam Square, police said, adding that this happened before the riots started.

Jazie Veldhuyzen, a member of Amsterdam’s city council, told Al Jazeera that Israeli supporters also attacked houses with Palestinian flags.

U.S. envoy: I don’t care if Israelis say ‘let’s kill Arabs’

What is interesting is what was said after it gradually became clear that Israeli hooligans were threatening the streets of Amsterdam and Arab-Muslim communities.

For example, Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy on anti-Semitism, was quoted as saying that the Maccabi hooligans were ‘bullying’ and saying ‘let’s kill the Arabs’, but told the Forward: “I don’t care what they say, it doesn’t give you the right to kick somebody who’s down and make people say ‘I’m not Jewish’ in order to get away safely.”

Mossad to accompany Maccabi Tel Aviv

On the other hand, the Jerusalem Post (JP) reported on 5 November that Mossad agents would accompany the Maccabi Tel Aviv team on its trip to Amsterdam.

JP quoted the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf as saying that in addition to Maccabi’s regular security personnel, Mossad agents would join the team in Amsterdam to provide maximum protection.

JP also reported that last Saturday a pro-Palestinian protester had been attacked by Ajax fans, known to be pro-Israel, before their last match.

Karat: There are indications of Mossad involvement

Karat made the same point to Harici, stressing that the behavior of the Maccabi fans in Amsterdam was quite different from typical hooliganism.

According to the behavioral analyst, in contrast to the chaotic and disorganized nature usually associated with football hooliganism, these fans acted in a cohesive, almost military style, remaining closely grouped ‘as if guided by a common strategy’.

“This disciplined unity raises questions, especially in light of Israeli media reports confirming the presence of Mossad agents and IDF soldiers among the fans,” Karat said.

Karat argued that the inclusion of intelligence officers with experience in covert operations and espionage, rather than police protection in the event of tensions, indicated a ‘more calculated purpose’ beyond mere spectator safety.

According to Karat, the presence of trained agents indicates the potential to ‘manipulate or provoke events under a civilian guise’ and suggests a ‘deeper agenda beneath the superficial show of fan support’.

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U.S. sets up new ‘air defence base’ in Poland

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The United States inaugurated a new air defense base in northern Poland on Wednesday, marking a significant move in NATO’s defense strategy. Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that the base strengthens Poland’s security as a NATO member, especially as the war in Ukraine continues.

Located in Redzikowo, a town near the Baltic coast, the base has been in development since the early 2000s. Amid concerns following Donald Trump’s election, some NATO members are uneasy about future commitments. However, Polish officials emphasize that the consistent support of the base project across U.S. administrations underscores the enduring military alliance between Poland and the United States.

“The United States is the guarantor of Poland’s security,” Duda asserted, underscoring that the presence of U.S. troops highlights Poland’s sovereignty and reinforces that it is “not in Russia’s sphere of influence,” despite its historical ties as a socialist state until 1989.

On the other side, Kremlin officials described the base as an attempt to “contain Russia” by positioning American military infrastructure closer to Russian borders.

The Redzikowo base is a vital component of NATO’s Aegis Ashore missile defense shield, designed to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Other key elements of this NATO defense shield include a base in Romania, U.S. Navy destroyers stationed at Rota, Spain, and an early warning radar located in Kürecik.

Russia has long viewed the base as a threat, initially opposing the project in 2007. NATO maintains that the shield is “purely defensive” and asserts that it’s not targeted at Russia.

According to military sources cited by Reuters, the Redzikowo system currently targets missiles from the Middle East. Redirecting the radar to intercept missiles from Russia would require a policy shift and complex procedural adjustments.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz recently called for expanding the defense shield, stating that Warsaw would discuss further plans with NATO and the United States.

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German think tank DGAP: Germany and Europe must build military strength in the Asia-Pacific region

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Germany’s leading foreign policy journal, Internationale Politik, calls for significant rearmament and militarization efforts to strengthen European influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Internationale Politik, published by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), European nations should rapidly expand their armed forces and take control not only of their own continent but also, “if necessary, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb,” to “reduce reliance on U.S. troops in Europe.”

If successful, the journal argues, the United States would retain adequate military capacity “in the event of a war in the Indo-Pacific.” In such a scenario, European nations should also prepare for a potential conflict with China and enhance their defense industrial capacity to replenish depleted U.S. munitions if required.

The ‘Asianization’ of security architecture

Calls for a stronger German and European military presence in the Asia-Pacific are driven by the intensifying power struggle between the West and China and the increasing inclination of Asian nations to pursue independent military policies rather than aligning with declining Western dominance.

Felix Heiduk, director of the Asia Research Group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), describes this trend as the “Asianization” of regional security architecture.

Indonesia exemplifies this shift. Since 2007, Indonesia has conducted regular military exercises with the United States, the latest spanning August 26 to September 6, 2024. However, Jakarta has also expanded ties with Russia. During a recent meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Indonesia’s current president and former defense minister, Prabowo Subianto, expressed that he sees Russia as a “great friend” and intends to strengthen relations with Moscow.

Last week, Russia and Indonesia held their first joint military exercises, which Jakarta considers a demonstration of its independent foreign and military policy.

The ‘Indo-Pacific’ as a Japanese-American concept and Germany’s role

The concept of the Indo-Pacific frequently underpins arguments for expanding military activities into the Asia-Pacific. In Internationale Politik, Heiduk clarifies that this term is “neither geographically neutral nor value-neutral” but rather “purely political.”

Heiduk explains that the concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, which the U.S. adopted from Japan, aims to encircle China and maintain U.S. hegemony in Asia. He further notes that Germany is also entangled in this geopolitical struggle.

Heiduk points to Germany’s Asia-Pacific military deployments in 2021 and 2024, along with maneuvers involving German air and ground forces in Australia and other countries in the region. These actions align with Berlin’s official Indo-Pacific Strategy—a conflict framework Germany has adopted in alignment with the U.S. in its great power struggle with China.

Europe’s Need to Rebuild Its Land Armies

Max Bergmann, an expert from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, illustrates the pressure for greater militarization in the Asia-Pacific in a recent article for Internationale Politik.

Bergmann describes European nations as lacking “hard power,” noting that European armies have been underfunded for two decades and that rebuilding ground forces should be the priority. He argues that while Britain and France possess advanced weapons systems, including anti-submarine capabilities, their forces are “too thinly deployed.”

While Russia remains the immediate military priority for Europe, Bergmann sees a long-term role for European security in the Indo-Pacific.

Reducing the U.S. military rresence in Europe

The CSIS expert suggests six strategic steps Europe can take to reduce U.S. military presence.

The first step, according to Bergmann, is for Europe to focus on securing the continent, the Mediterranean, and, if needed, the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb. This would allow the U.S. to concentrate fully on the Indo-Pacific if war broke out in the region.

Bergmann notes that in such a conflict, the U.S. could dedicate its full military production capacity to support Indo-Pacific logistics, but only if Europe is militarily fortified.

Beyond the ‘third way’ for Europe

Bergmann proposes additional diplomatic and security roles for European states. He advocates strengthening relations with countries like Vietnam, which have limited ties with the U.S. However, he emphasizes that Europe should not pursue a “Gaullist third way” between the U.S. and China since European interests align closely with U.S. strategic interests.

Finally, Bergmann recommends that European states establish stronger military-political and arms-industrial partnerships within the Asia-Pacific and, ultimately, bolster their own military presence in the region. The most effective way to achieve this, he suggests, would be to organize a European naval mission under the EU flag to coordinate all European naval activities in the Asia-Pacific.

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Green light from CDU for debt brake reform

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Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), announced on Wednesday that the constitutional debt brake, which limits public deficits to 0.35% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), could be open to reform under certain conditions.

Merz, the frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor after the collapse of the country’s “traffic light” coalition, has previously argued that Germany should adhere to the constitutionally guaranteed debt brake, a measure introduced by his party under Angela Merkel in 2009.

The debate over debt brake reform within the CDU was reignited this year by Berlin’s conservative mayor Kai Wegner. Several powerful CDU leaders from regional governments have also supported the reform push, as these states face more constraints than the federal government and lack the flexibility for new borrowing.

Merz: Revision possible if borrowing is for investment

Pressure is mounting within the party, with CDU state premiers urging Merz to include debt brake reform plans in the campaign for the early elections on 23 February.

Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Merz stated: “Of course, reform is possible. The question is: why? To what end? What would be the result of such a reform?”

Merz emphasized that he would not support reform aimed at increasing consumption or social policy spending. However, he suggested that if additional borrowing were used to increase investment, “then the answer could be different.”

According to the Greens, the only way out of the crisis is a revision of the debt brake

Merz noted that the debt brake was a “technical issue” and stated that he did not wish to engage in the discussion at that moment. Later, a source close to the CDU leader told Reuters that Merz had no immediate plans to reform the debt brake.

However, Bruno Hönel, a member of the Bundestag’s budget committee from the Greens, argued that if Merz assumed power, the debt brake would be reformed immediately, pointing out that the budget could not be financed without borrowing during such a crisis.

Hönel stated, “If you want to work with the budget in a forward-looking way, there is no other way than to reform the debt brake.” He also noted that 80 billion euros would be needed to meet NATO’s 2% defense spending target by 2028, nearly 30 billion euros more than the draft budget for 2025, which currently envisions defense spending of 53 billion euros.

Traffic light coalition collapses over debt brake debate

The debt brake was a key factor in the collapse of the coalition, leading to calls for early elections.

Christian Lindner, leader of the fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP), who was dismissed as finance minister last week by Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, claimed that Scholz had pressured him to suspend the debt brake.

Suspending the debt brake in an emergency, citing special circumstances, is possible with a government majority. Germany reinstated the debt brake in 2024 after a four-year suspension to allow for extra spending on the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis.

CDU’s sister party CSU opposes reform

However, reforming the debt brake requires a two-thirds majority in both the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.

The CDU premiers from the eastern states support the debt brake reform, while Markus Söder, the leader of Bavaria’s CSU, opposes it. Söder emphasized that “absurd extra spending” must be cut first.

Before discussing the debt brake, Söder argued that the fiscal equality of federal states must be addressed, referring to Germany’s income redistribution system.

The wealthy state of Bavaria recently had to transfer over €9 billion to other states. “This cannot go on,” Söder declared.

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