The mayor of Amsterdam has taken back comments describing violence that took place following a football match between Israeli and Dutch teams earlier this month as a “pogrom”, and has said Israel “bypassed” Dutch authorities regarding the details of the events.
Mayor Femke Halsema was speaking on Sunday evening on Dutch state broadcaster NPO’s News Hour programme.
On 6 and 7 November, travelling Maccabi Tel Aviv fans stirred trouble in different parts of the Dutch capital by chanting racist anti-Arab slogans ahead of their Uefa Europa League match against Amsterdam club Ajax.
A) She should have never called it a term that has that much meaning behind it.
B) She should have maybe waited to hear some facts before speaking about it.
My ancestors suffered pogroms and survived the Holocaust. She just took this word in her mouth without any consideration towards that. Just for her political gain, to win some extra brownie points. Shame on her, but at least she took it back now, even if late.
Damage is done. Newspapers got their headlines worldwide. Quietly walking it back after five days is so hypocritical she should have stuck with her lies.
To use such an extremely loaded term for a situation where five people were lightly wounded can not be an accident.
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You’re not fooling anyone. The world is watching who the violent ones are.
Oh no, the Israeli soccer fans tore down a flag and chanted some rude things - they deserve to be hunted and beaten.
WTF do you think the Jewish community around the world has been dealing with for the past 14 months???