Amsterdam Mayor: “Pogrom” is Being Used…

Amsterdam Mayor: “Pogrom” is Being Used as Propaganda

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema criticized Israel’s swift reaction to clashes between Israeli fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on Nov. 7, stating her administration was overwhelmed by the sudden international attention.

“We were completely caught off guard by Israel,” Halsema told Dutch broadcaster NPO. “At 3am, Netanyahu was already giving a lecture about what happened in Amsterdam, while we were still gathering the facts.”

Halsema expressed frustration with how Israeli officials and domestic politicians used her comments to frame the violence as targeted attacks on Israelis. She described this as "propaganda" and emphasized that the term "pogrom," which she used in a press conference, had been manipulated to serve political agendas.