Dutch Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans After CCTV Footage ‘Disappears’
Amsterdam (Quds News Network)- Dutch prosecutors quietly dropped all charges on June 16 against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, who attacked Muslim women and pro-Palestine demonstrators in Amsterdam last November. Authorities claimed CCTV footage from the incidents had been erased and said they were “unable to identify” the perpetrators.
Today, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) condemned the decision in a strong public statement, calling it a “stunning failure of political will” and a dangerous message of impunity for racist violence.
Shocking new footages are circulating on social media showing Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam before the match against Ajax.
One clip shows a fan attacking a local, yet police arrested the victim. Other videos capture fans harassing locals on a metro and urinating… pic.twitter.com/zzd7JrlUxb
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 18, 2024
HRF had filed the original complaint on November 9, 2024, detailing a spree of hate crimes and public violence by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters between November 5–8. The attacks included stoning a home with a Palestinian flag, assaulting a Palestinian taxi driver, attacking peaceful demonstrators, and chanting glorifications of the Israeli army and calls for murder and rape of Arabs.
Despite video evidence, eyewitness accounts, and even the prosecutor admitting that one group chant met the standard for criminal insult under Dutch law, authorities declined to proceed with charges.
HRF accused the Dutch Public Prosecutor of applying double standards, noting how quickly police surveil and prosecute pro-Palestine demonstrators, while failing to act against a pro-Israel mob. “This is not a failure of capacity, but of political will,” the statement read.
The foundation also criticized the reliance on Israeli authorities during the investigation. “It is deeply disturbing and inappropriate to lean on a state actor with a vested interest in shielding those responsible for anti-Arab racism,” HRF said.
They warned the decision sets a dangerous precedent: “The Dutch state is sending a message that Palestinians and their allies can be attacked with impunity on Dutch soil.”
HRF is now considering legal options, including filing an Article 12 complaint under Dutch law to force a judicial review of the decision.
“We will not remain silent,” the statement concluded. “Justice must never be selective.”
The June 16 decision comes amid rising concerns across Europe about institutional bias, where pro-Palestine and anti-genocide voices face repression, while racist violence by far-right and pro-Israel groups often goes unchecked.
