An Israeli official led an avalanche of criticism Friday over media coverage of the attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam — calling the violence an “antisemitic pogrom” and accusing journalists of sanitizing it.
“Hi @nytimes,…We fixed it for you,” wrote David Saranga, a former Israeli ambassador to Romania, on X alongside his edited version of a New York Times headline about Thursday night’s bloody incident.
The Times headline read, “Violence tied to soccer game prompts dozens of arrests in Amsterdam.”
Saranga’s edited version changed the headline to “Violent antisemitic pogrom prompts Israeli rescue mission to Amsterdam.”
After the heinous assault, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent planes to evacuate Israeli citizens from the Netherlands.
Saranga also edited the Times’ subhead for the piece to 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 original subhed published by the Times implied that there was violence from both Dutch and Israeli fans. It also attributed the antisemitism issue to claims by the Israeli government.
Shortly before 10 a.m. Friday, the Times appeared to be running an updated story that attributed the antisemitism claims to “Amsterdam authorities.”
Saranga’s post came just hours after hundreds of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans were targeted as they walked out of the stadium following a Europa League game against a Dutch team, AFC Ajax, according to Israeli Embassy reports.
The embassy shared footage of the attacks, including by one assailant who screamed, “Free Palestine!” as a victim cowered in fear.
Another video showed a victim surrounded by several people — including one who appeared to be holding a Palestinian flag — as a perpetrator kicked him to the ground.
A separate assault showed a victim lying on the ground as he was kicked repeatedly.
In the hours after the shocking attack, social media users were quick to accuse various outlets of downplaying the reality of the violence.
In addition to Saranga’s post about the Times, author David Zweig accused Reuters of similarly disguising what actually happened.
“Roaming gangs were chasing down and beating Israeli soccer fans in the streets of Amsterdam. And this was the lede chosen by @Reuters…Absolutely extraordinary,” he wrote on X.
The post included a screenshot of the Reuters article, which implied that “evidence of provocative chanting from Israeli fans” contributed to the violence.
By Friday morning, Reuters appeared to have updated its article — though it still included coverage of alleged anti-Arab chanting by the Israeli fans further down.
Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a writer who has penned pieces for numerous Israeli outlets, also called out CNN for saying it was unable to verify some of the footage of the attacks — accusing the outlet of being “happy to parrot Hamas information on Gaza” in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
“For months now @CNN has become an islamo propaganda machine,” a commenter responded.
Dutch authorities said at least five people had been treated at hospitals for injuries sustained in the attacks, and dozens of suspects were arrested.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema called the incident “shocking and despicable.”
The attacks also came just one day before the anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” when the Nazi Party’s forces targeted and destroyed Jewish-owned businesses, buildings and synagogues in Germany and some occupied territories such as Austria.
With Post wires
