The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum strongly condemns the violent antisemitic attacks that occurred in Amsterdam after a UEFA soccer match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 7. Attackers raged through the streets and used scooters to look for Israelis, repeatedly kicking and beating them. Multiple Israelis were injured and five needed hospital attention.

The attack has been condemned by the Prime Minister of Holland, Dick Schoof, and the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, who have clearly stated that this was an act of antisemitic violence that cannot be tolerated. We commend their prompt response and efforts to arrest the perpetrators.

This horrific attack is all the more unsettling because it occurred on the eve of the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, known as The Night of Broken Glass, when Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against Jews in Germany and Nazi-occupied territories. During Kristallnacht, some 30,000 Jewish males were rounded up and taken to concentration camps. Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were destroyed, and 91 Jews were murdered. Many scholars view Kristallnacht as the beginning of the end for the Jews of Europe.

We call on our community to stand against antisemitism here at home and around the world. Violence is never the answer.

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is committed to its mission to teach the history of the Holocaust and advance human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference. Our work has never been more important than it is today. To learn more, visit www.dhhrm.org.

– Mary Pat Higgins, President and CEO

– Lee Michaels, Board Chair