The New York Times is under fire after the paper seemingly downplayed the attack on Jews in Amsterdam Thursday night, calling it “soccer violence.”
Organized gangs reportedly assaulted Jews leaving a soccer game where Maccabi Tel Aviv played. Videos posted to social media show assailants hunting, beating, and injuring Israelis while shouting “Free Palestine” and curses in Arabic.
The Times dismissed the attack — which Israeli officials are calling a pogrom — as “violence tied to a soccer game.”
David Saranga, an Israeli diplomat, led the charge against the paper, stating that their headline should change from “Violence Tied to Soccer Game Prompts Dozens of Arrests in Amsterdam” to “Violent Antisemitic Pogrom Prompts Israeli Rescue Mission To Amsterdam.”
The Times later changed its headline to “Israeli soccer fans injured in Amsterdam Attacks That Authorities Call Antisemitic.”
Saranga also suggested the subhead read, “The police said 57 people were arrested after terrorists lynch Jews who were in Amsterdam to watch Israeli Team. The Attacks were driven by antisemitism.”
The Times later changed their subhead to “Dutch officials said that people had attacked Israeli fans as tensions flared around a soccer match.”
On X, several users attacked the Times for the headline, accusing the outlet of lying.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands condemned the attack on Friday, telling Israeli President Isaac Herzog, “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated the “harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens,” the statement said.
Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called the attack a “pogrom.”
“‘Globalize the intifada’ was not just a slogan for these terrorist supporters,” Danon told Fox News. “I urge the Dutch government to help all Israelis and Jewish people immediately. It’s time to respond with force against these barbaric rioters.”
President Joe Biden condemned the attacks Friday afternoon, calling them “despicable.”
“The Antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted,” Biden wrote in a statement on X. “We’ve been in touch with Israeli and Dutch officials and appreciate Dutch authorities’ commitment to holding the perpetrators accountable.”
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