A court in the Netherlands on Tuesday found five men guilty of brawling and inciting violence against Israeli football fans after a match in Amsterdam last month, which sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.
The Amsterdam district court on Tuesday found the men them guilty of a range of crimes from kicking Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in the street to inciting violence in chat groups.
One man, identified as Sefa O, was jailed for six months for playing a leading role in the violence. He was filmed kicking a person on the ground and chasing down and punching others.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans came under attack in the early hours of 8 November after their side lost 5-0 in the Europa League match against Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Police arrested 62 people and five people were taken to hospital following the skirmishes on the streets.
Prosecutors told the court the beatings had little to do with football. The violence, they insisted, was not anti-Semitic, as claimed by Israel and other observers.
"The violence was influenced by the situation in Gaza, not by anti-Semitism," said the prosecutor, referring to Israel’s war against Hamas.
The attacks followed two days of skirmishes in which Maccabi fans chanted anti-Arab songs, vandalised a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag.
Police said they were investigating at least 45 people, including fans of the Israeli club.
(with AFP)
