Israel urges citizens to skip cultural, sports events abroad next week

Israel told citizens on Sunday to avoid going to cultural and sports events abroad involving Israelis in the coming week, following attacks last week on Israeli soccer supporters in Amsterdam.

A statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had intelligence that pro-Palestinian groups abroad intended to harm Israelis in cities in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and others.

There were clashes on Friday involving that Amsterdam's mayor called attacks by "antisemitic hit-and-run squads". Israel sent planes to the Netherlands to fly fans home.

Supporters of Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were targeted for beatings by groups of thugs in the early hours of Friday following a match with Amsterdam's Ajax, the city's mayor Femke Halsema has said.