Dutch intelligence report identifies Israel as a foreign threat for first time
The Netherlands has named Israel as a foreign threat to the country's national security for the first time, citing disinformation campaigns endangering the lives of Dutch citizens.
A report published by the National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism (NCTV) says that Israel attempted to influence public opinion and politics in the country by circulating documents directly to Dutch journalists and politicians instead of using the official diplomatic channels.
The alleged disinformation campaign occurred after the clashes that followed the football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last November.
Close to 30 people were wounded as Israeli fans were caught on video vandalising property, threatening and assaulting people, as well as chanting racist, anti-Arab slogans.
The Israeli authorities branded the riots as antisemitic and ordered two rescue planes to the Netherlands to evacuate the fans.
A week later, the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, took back her comments describing the violence as a "pogrom", saying that Israel "bypassed" Dutch authorities regarding the details of the events and their framing.
The NCTV report said that the document circulated by Israel-affiliated agencies also contained "unusual and unwanted personal details" about Dutch citizens. The country's ministries of justice, security and foreign affairs warned that these individuals could face threats, harassment and even physical attacks.
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