When Netanyahu Spoke, Truth in Amsterdam Died, Mayor Tells Public

Amsterdam's mayor admits: her words fuelled propaganda, exploited by Israel while locals faced chaos and violence from Maccabi hooligans. Who controls the truth, and at what cost?

The chaotic aftermath of a football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam became a textbook example of disinformation in action, highlighting the intersection of media manipulation, political opportunism, and the erosion of journalistic standards. Footage of hooded men rampaging through Amsterdam’s streets, attacking bystanders, and engaging in violent clashes was swiftly framed as an anti-Semitic attack targeting Israeli fans. Major media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, Sky News and The Guardian, embraced this narrative, while Israeli officials likened the events to a "pogrom" and invoked harrowing comparisons to Kristallnacht. Yet the truth that emerged, through the accounts of journalists, witnesses, and local officials, tells a different and more disturbing story of how narratives are constructed and weaponised.

At the center of the controversy was footage captured by Annette de Graaf, a citizen journalist who was on the ground documenting the events. Her video, which …