In a heated debate in the Dutch Parliament, Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right “Freedom Party,” blamed Muslims, including Moroccans, for violent clashes between Muslim communities and supporters of the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv football club in Amsterdam.
Wilders, who recently won the country’s general election, called for harsh penalties against those involved in the violence, including stripping dual nationals of their Dutch citizenship.
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“We saw Muslims hunting Jews in the streets of Amsterdam — a massacre that demands strict anti-Semitism penalties,” Wilders said.
He echoed the government’s tough stance on anti-Semitism and stricter integration policies for immigrants.
Opposition politicians, however, accused Wilders of inciting hatred.
Frans Timmermans, of the Socialist Democratic Party, said Wilders’ call for terrorism charges against Muslim community members was “pouring oil on the fire.” He emphasized that “hatred cannot be fought with more hatred.” Despite consensus on tackling anti-Semitism, there is division over how best to address rising tensions.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the violence stemmed from an “integration problem.”
But Sofyan Mbareki, a Moroccan-born advisor to the Amsterdam mayor, rejected this view, insisting that the violence was rooted in racism and anti-Semitism. In a post on Instagram, Mbareki wrote, “Our city faced a wave of violence, racism, and anti-Semitism. These behaviors are unacceptable and don’t belong in Amsterdam.”
Mbareki, who works with local government officials, added that the Prime Minister’s comments unfairly blamed immigrants and said that he himself was part of the solution, not the problem. “We work every day to restore trust and peace in our city,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Muslim Rights Observatory said it was preparing a report on hate speech and threats made by Maccabi fans against Muslims. The organization also pledged to offer legal aid to victims of the unrest and pro-Palestinian activists facing prosecution.
The Moroccan civil society in the Netherlands, represented by the Federation of Moroccan Associations, expressed “deep outrage” over the anti-Semitic incidents, reaffirming the Moroccan community’s commitment to peace, brotherhood, and respect for the Jewish community.
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