Israel sends team of paramedics to Amsterdam after mob violence

An emergency team of Israeli paramedics has been sent to Amsterdam on a special El Al flight to assist with medical care and accompany the injured Israelis home.

The small team from Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s largely volunteer ambulance service, took off today and is expected to arrive in Holland this evening.

El Al has already agreed to lay on free flights tomorrow to transport Israeli fans back to their home country.

The collaboration between the two organisaions was described by Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia, the CEO of the flagship carrier, as “both our privilege and our duty”.

"El Al is proud to cooperate with Magen David Adom and serve as a crucial anchor in the rescue operation and provision of medical services to Israelis in Amsterdam,” she said.

A delegation of doctors from MDA's International Unit in Europe travelled over land to the hospital in Amsterdam today to support and assist the wounded on the ground.

MDA Director General Eli Bin said: “The incident in Amsterdam is severe and shocking. Immediately after receiving the information, I held a situation assessment and decided to send our leading medical teams as part of the rescue mission.

"Magen David Adom, as Israel's national rescue organization, is ready to assist any Israeli citizen, anywhere in the world. Special thanks to El Al for their cooperation and assistance in this complex and important mission."

El Al Board Chairman Amikam Ben-Zvi added: "El Al continues to contribute to the national effort and is adding Magen David Adom’s paramedic and medical team to the rescue flights. This is an important mission, and we are proud to be part of it."

Israeli officials said that ten citizens were injured in the violence overnight. According to reports, all Israelis injured in the attacks have been released from hospital in Amsterdam.

In a statement made during his visit to the Foreign Ministry’s situation room, where he was briefed on Israel’s response to the attacks in the Dutch capital, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that those behind the attacks don’t just pose a risk to Jews but the entire free world.

He said that the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht had been “marked on the streets of Amsterdam” when hundreds of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked by anti-Israel mobs.

“Tomorrow, 86 years ago, was Kristallnacht, when Jews on European soil were attacked for being Jews. This has now recurred,” Netanyahu said.

“There is one difference now, though: the Jewish people now have a state of their own.”