Druze hero's quick thinking helps Israeli fans escape Amsterdam pogrom

As Maccabi Tel Aviv fans lynched by pro-Palestinian mob, Druze Israeli Malham Asaad intervenes to protect them; speaking Arabic to avoid detection, he urges fans to hide Israeli symbols and helps many reach safety; 'It reminded me of October 7,' he says

Nadav Zenziper|
Witnesses and victims recount a night of violent attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam on Thursday night following a Europa League match against Ajax, with incidents escalating as pro-Palestinian activists targeted Israelis. Multiple reports describe fans being harassed and assaulted in the streets, with little intervention by local police.
Among those who helped fans escape was Malham Asaad, 36, from the Israeli village of Kisra-Sumei. Asaad is a member of the country’s Druze community — an Arabic-speaking minority.
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Malham Asaad in Amsterdam with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
Malham Asaad in Amsterdam with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
Malham Asaad in Amsterdam with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
(Photo: Courtesy)
"As soon as we got off the train after the game, it felt like we were abandoned by the police—there was no protection whatsoever,” Asaad described his experience, recalling overhearing people speaking Arabic, urging others to “attack anyone speaking Hebrew or wearing blue and yellow,” the colors of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Quickly alerting fans to the threats, Asaad warned Maccabi supporters to conceal any team or Israeli symbols, helping many to avoid detection. “I explained to them that people were lying in wait, and in this way, I managed to help many fans,” Asaad recounted.
“As I passed by, I kept speaking Arabic to the fans so others would think we were part of the crowd—I was trying to confuse them. My friend Afek from Petah Tikva and I went through restaurants and other places, warning our fans to put everything in their bags. I told them not to run—that would give them away. I told them to act like locals and stay silent.”
“They threw stones at us until they heard me speaking Arabic. I saw fans being beaten, but I couldn’t help them,” Asaad added. “There was a 16-year-old boy alone on the street, crying and terrified. I told him we’d take care of him, and we got him a taxi back to his hotel. I was scared, too, but it was important to me to save as many fans as I could. It was only on the plane home that I began to process what happened—I cried nonstop. It reminded me of October 7.”
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