OPINION: I’m tired of Palestinians being linked to the behaviour of non-Palestinians abroad
Some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans sang anti-Arab chants but the way in which some have justified the violent actions against Israelis in Amsterdam has echoed the denial of 7/10
It is a fact that many of the Tel Aviv Maccabi soccer fans acted in a disgusting, racist, and hateful manner in Amsterdam. Some of them spewed hateful slogans, ripped up Palestinian flags, acted in a lawless manner, and screamed racist, anti-Arab chants that certainly escalated the tensions. The narrative among many is that these fans “started it” with said behaviour, and this wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the hooliganism of the Israeli fans.
The extent to which many have been justifying random acts of violence against suspected Israelis and Jewish people has been truly grotesque and disturbing, mirroring ways in which many justified and excused Hamas’s criminal and vile October 7 massacre. Many are overlooking that there appear to have ben preparations, including ones that Dutch authorities were warned about, to confront the Israeli soccer fans by “pro-Palestine” protesters well before the game and the arrival of these fans.
We’ve seen numerous instances throughout the Gaza war in which Israeli and Jewish-themed events and activities are targeted before their occurrence by activists who seek to disrupt and undermine these events; as though all Jews or Israelis are responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. Some of the Maccabi fans were likely triggered and provoked before the game and going into the stadium, making many react in an equally distasteful, hostile, and racist manner.
However, this doesn’t justify a large random counterattack by local “pro-Palestine” Arab and Muslim residents, who went out looking or “hunting” for Israeli and Jewish fans. We saw horrendous footage of random people being approached, asked to prove that they were not Israeli or Jewish, and some randomly struck, punched, and chased. The level to which many have been willing to excuse violence against random Israelis and Jews is wrong for many reasons, starting with the insensitivity to Jewish history and experiences with hate, antisemitism, violence, and genocide in Europe.
Secondly, there have been many forms of hateful and aggressive demonstrations and actions by “pro-Palestine” groups and individuals since the Gaza war broke out – does that mean random Arabs, Muslims, and Palestinians in Amsterdam should fear attacks because some in their communities did violent or hateful acts? Absolutely not. Jews and Israelis should be afforded the same humanity and consideration.
Any act, retribution or pre-meditated, against a group of people based on their race, ethnicity, religion, or politics is despicable, inexcusable, and harmful to whatever cause one champions. The US has done terrible things in the Muslim world, but that doesn’t justify al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks; Europe has done some awful things throughout the world, but that doesn’t justify ISIS’ attacks on France, Britain, and Germany; Israel has/is engaged in horrendous policies and actions against Palestinians, but that doesn’t justify suicide bombings, Hamas’s October 7 massacre, or random acts of antisemitism and violence against suspected Israelis or Jews anywhere.
I am tired of saying this over and over and the fact that I still have to say this: violence begets more violence; violence does not justify random counter-violence; violence weakens one’s moral, political, and social standing; violence is not an acceptable social change or advocacy strategy; random and emotionally-driven violence is not resistance; violence that is driven by and fuels antisemitism is extremely harmful to the Palestinian people’s just and urgent cause and aspirations – I’m tired of people being ready to excuse such detrimental and extraordinarily harmful behaviour: when will those who actually care about the Palestinian people’s cause realize that they and the “pro-Palestine” community have a responsibility to be good custodians of the message and that actions have consequences and implications. I am tired of the Palestinian people being associated with the actions of non-Palestinians in the diaspora who act and speak on our behalf in the most unhelpful ways.
I was just in Amsterdam a few days ago and drove by one of the Palestinian flags that was ripped up by the Maccabi fans. While talking to people, this issue came up as a cause of tension within the city, which, as in many parts of Europe, is a source of immense divisiveness. This cannot go on.
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