A Dutch court has handed down brief jail terms to four men convicted of participating in violent antisemitic attacks against Israeli football fans in Amsterdam last November. The lenient sentences, ranging from 11 days to 12 weeks, have drawn sharp criticism from Dutch Jewish leaders and organisations, who say the justice system is failing to address the severity of antisemitic violence, reports Jewish New Syndicate.
The convictions relate to a mass assault on supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv football team, who were in the Netherlands for a match. Over 100 men, primarily of Muslim background, coordinated the attacks in real-time using WhatsApp, targeting fans and supporters with violence and antisemitic slurs.
Leaders of the Dutch Jewish community described the incident as a “pogrom”, the largest of its kind in Western Europe since the Holocaust. The attacks shocked the Jewish community and highlighted serious gaps in law enforcement preparedness.
Cenk D. received the longest sentence, 12 weeks, after being found guilty of directing attackers via WhatsApp and writing, “A good Jew is a dead Jew”. He also shared an image of Anne Frank, which the court said trivialised the Holocaust.
Kamal I. was sentenced to one month in jail despite prosecutors seeking a longer term. Though he had video footage of the assaults, the court ruled there was no evidence he was physically present.
Mohammed B., 26, received 11 days in jail—time already served—and was immediately released.
Mounir M., 32, was given six weeks for helping coordinate attacks.
Jewish leaders and allies condemned the sentences as insufficient, arguing they minimise the gravity of what was widely seen as an antisemitic hate crime.
Femke H. Vita Israël Sirag, a former JA21 candidate, called the punishments a “joke”, accusing Dutch courts of downplaying antisemitic violence.
Naomi Mestrum, director of CIDI (Centre for Information and Documentation on Israel), acknowledged that short sentences are part of the Dutch system but said, “We hope and expect that aggravating circumstances will be taken into account in future cases.”
Dutch authorities have identified 36 suspects in the incident, and images of 122 people are still under investigation. So far, only 10 individuals have been prosecuted.
The mild sentencing in this case is fuelling broader concerns that the Netherlands is not treating antisemitic violence with appropriate seriousness despite growing threats to the safety of Jewish communities across Europe.
Photo credit: AP Photo InterVision
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