Sky News removes tweet about Israeli soccer fans making anti-Arab racist slurs

SKY News appears to have removed a tweet about how Israeli soccer fans chanted racist abuse before being attacked in Amsterdam after being heavily criticized by the world’s media.

Fans clashed with apparently pro-Palestinian protesters after a Europa League soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam on Thursday night.

Ahead of the game, hundreds of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were reported to have staged a “loud rally” in Amsterdam’s main square and were seen tearing down Palestinian flags.

Amsterdam councilor Jazzy Veldhuizen said: “They (Israeli fans) started attacking people’s houses in Amsterdam with Palestinian flags, so that’s where the violence actually started.”

READ MORE: “War crimes and genocide are not a thing of the past,” say the Scottish Greens

Videos posted on social media showed Israeli fans shouting racist anti-Arab slurs and chants about the war in Palestine, with lines reportedly including: “No schools in Gaza because there are no children left” and “May the IDF win to fuck the Arabs.” “.

The BBCThe report of the violence mentions “anti-Arab chants” but not the specific content.

It is claimed that Israeli football fans also attacked taxis and houses in front of the people of Amsterdam mobilized and resisted hostilities.

Online video also showed Israeli fans chanting and jeers during a moment of silence for flood victims in Valencia at the Johan Cruyff Arena, leading to escalating tensions.

Sky News tweeted a story about the violence highlighting the behavior of a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan in the run-up to the attacks, but later deleted it.

(Image: Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Maccabi Tel Aviv fans tore down Palestinian flags and chanted racist anti-Arab slogans,” the now-deleted tweet said.

The international media’s coverage of the violence has been heavily criticized because most of it did not cover the behavior of the Israeli fan during the clashes.

Commentator Owen Jones said the Western media had portrayed Israeli fans as “victims” despite videos showing them behaving hostilely towards the people of Amsterdam.

He said: “There are Israeli football thugs who went on a rampage in Amsterdam.

“They returned to Tel Aviv enjoying Israel’s extermination of Palestinian children.

“Western politicians and the media tell you that these are all victims.

“The world is turned upside down.”

He added: “In the world we live in, if you condemn racist bigots who literally enjoy mass murdering children, then you are branded a hateful bigot.

“Gaslighting isn’t a strong enough word to describe what it’s like.”

Some media outlets have been condemned for interviewing Israeli soccer fans who took part in the violence, describing the attacks as one-sided and failing to report their behavior during the build-up.

(Image: JEROEN JUMELET/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Dutch police confirmed that 57 people had been arrested as a result of the arrest.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would send “rescue planes” for Israeli fans after the riots on Thursday night, although the mission was later cancelled.

Local authorities in Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days from Friday after the violence.