A family of Israeli tourists was attacked at a holiday park in the Netherlands Thursday evening, days after local anti-Israel groups posted videos online of Israeli tourists at another park and “called for action against them,” Israel’s embassy in The Hague said Friday, though local police reportedly said the victims’ nationality was not the cause for the attack.
Two victims of the attack at Center Parcs De Kempervennen, near Eindhoven, required hospitalization, and one suspect was detained, the embassy said in a Dutch-language statement, adding that “it is assumed that multiple suspects were involved.”
The embassy, whose building was defaced last week, added that this was the latest in a series of attacks on Israelis visiting the Netherlands.
“We expect the Dutch authorities to take all necessary measures to protect Israelis and Jews in the Netherlands. Intimidation and violence against individuals because of their background is unacceptable,” the embassy said.
Dutch media identified the hospitalized Israelis as a 37- and 41-year-old, one of whom suffered a head wound, and the detained suspect as a 15-year-old boy.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
According to local newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad, the violence took place amid a paintball game between the Israeli tourists and another group, and police said the Israelis’ nationality was not the reason for the attack.
However, the outlet said “discriminatory and threatening slogans were shouted during the altercation,” and quoted a Dutch Jewish community group that was in contact with the victims as saying they were deliberately attacked because they were Israeli.
תיירים ישראלים הותקפו אתמול בהולנד; פרו פלסטינים פרסמו קודם לכן סרטון עם תיעודים של ישראלים שבו נכתב: “ניתן לציונים להסתובב ברחוב עם הילדים שלנו? נשלח מסר ברור – הם לא רצויים”@DovGilHar @RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/AvQwtKqE7K
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 22, 2025
Days before the attack, several Dutch activists and groups posted videos of Israeli tourists at a different Center Parcs resort, and called on their followers to “take action” against “citizens of the Zionist Entity.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry called on the Dutch government “to come to its senses and act resolutely to prevent attacks on Israelis in its territory, to locate the criminals and to bring them to justice.”
Once again, Israelis are being attacked in the Netherlands.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring and handling this attack through the Embassy of Israel in The Hague.
Israel calls on the Government of the Netherlands to come to its senses and act resolutely to prevent…
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) August 21, 2025
“Once again, Israelis are being attacked in the Netherlands,” the ministry said, alluding to the violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam last November.
In recent weeks, Israeli tourists have experienced several high-profile anti-Israel incidents, including attacks and protests, as international anger grows over Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. A poll published earlier this month found a majority of Israelis fear they won’t be able to travel abroad due to mounting global criticism of the Jewish state.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel