A Troubling Reminder of Kristallnacht

Saturday will be the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Jews were attacked throughout Nazi Germany and the authorities did not intervene. The name Kristallnacht comes from the broken glass that littered streets after windows were smashed when Jewish homes, hospitals, schools, synagogues and businesses were attacked.

267 synagogues were destroyed across Germany, Austria and part of what is now the Czech Republic. As many as 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and taken to Concentration Camps, sending shockwaves around the world as international journalists reported on the violence.

Thursday evening this week saw a painful reminder of those events 86 years ago. Israeli football supporters were attacked by mobs of armed Muslims in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, after a football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax.

The city’s police chief reported that five fans were taken to hospital around 30 others suffered minor injuries. A total of 62 people were arrested, with 10 remaining in custody.

Israelis described being hunted by their attackers for hours, with little preventative action by the Dutch police. Many Israelis were chased into hiding, besieged at hotels and some had their passports stolen.

Amsterdam’s mayor said the city had been “deeply damaged” by “hateful antisemitic rioters” in a night of “unbearable” violence.

This report by CBN News: