Following Israel Hayom's report, tensions escalate as sharp disagreements surface within Israel's security establishment regarding the inadequate preparations that left thousands of Israeli soccer fans exposed to attacks in Amsterdam last Thursday.
The National Security Council typically bears responsibility for warning Israelis about overseas threats. This was demonstrated Sunday when the council issued a detailed advisory urging Israelis to completely avoid attending sports events involving Israeli teams abroad, particularly emphasizing the national team's upcoming match against France in Paris this Thursday.
Video: Compilation of footage of the Amsterdam attack
No such warning was issued to soccer fans who traveled to Amsterdam last Thursday for Maccabi Tel Aviv's match against Ajax. In fact, they received no specific information beyond the general advisory applied to all Israelis traveling abroad, which calls for downplaying their Israeli identity and avoiding displays of Israeli or Jewish symbols.
It remains unclear how a soccer match featuring an Israeli team, whose supporters wear team colors – clearly Israeli identifiers – fits within these criteria. Nevertheless, lacking other intelligence, the National Security Council did not update its warning, and fans were not prevented from attending the game. The explanation provided was that the council relies on information from Israeli intelligence agencies, and without such input, there was no basis to modify the guidelines.
A day before the match, intelligence emerged about an Israeli combat unit veteran who had participated in Gaza operations, whose identity was circulated by Muslim groups in the city, raising concerns about potential targeting. This information was transferred from the Mossad to the National Security Council, and the individual was reportedly located and warned. The National Security Council considered this sufficient and did not conclude it indicated possible risks to the thousands of Israelis visiting the city.
Several hours before the match, both the Mossad and the Diaspora Affairs Ministry received updated intelligence about Muslim groups organizing to attack Israelis after the game. The Mossad shared this information with its Dutch counterpart, while the Shin Bet security agency updated the security officer at the Israeli embassy in Holland, who informed local police. Dutch authorities promised to enhance security around fans leaving the stadium but ultimately took a minimal approach that failed to prevent the attacks.
The National Security Council officials claimed Sunday that the information shared with the Dutch was not properly communicated to them as required. They pointed fingers at the Mossad, suggesting that "interested parties" were briefing against them, referring to Sunday's Israel Hayom headline about the National Security Council's failure to prepare for the event. "Prior to the Amsterdam disturbances, no information or recommendations were received from various agencies to elevate travel warnings," they added.
In response, security officials argued that the National Security Council is attempting to deflect responsibility, not only for taking a minimalist approach while ignoring the event's volatility. They contend that even if the National Security Council received the information late, they could have acted differently, such as issuing immediate warnings to Israelis at the match to remove identifying markers or directing them to specific transportation routes for enhanced security. In practice, relevant messages were only conveyed to fans after the incident had concluded.
The bottom line of this incident is disturbing, not only because of the attack that demonstrated the depth of anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish hatred in Europe. It once again exposed the lack of synchronization between various security and government agencies, which left thousands of Israelis without crucial information and exposed to the violent assault in Amsterdam.
