A video clip of a young man riding a bicycle carrying the Moroccan flag in Jerusalem has recently spread on social media, claiming that it was after the Amsterdam incident. The clip was accompanied by the following text: “A young Palestinian man rides his bicycle around the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, raising the Moroccan flag in front of the Israeli occupation forces, expressing his gratitude for what the Atlas Lions did in Amsterdam.”
Kashif verified the video via “Google Images” tool and found that it is old and the claim is misleading. The clip was circulated in December 2022 of a young man carrying the Moroccan flag during the World Cup matches, i.e. before the Amsterdam incident on 7/11/2024.
Jerusalemite activist Ramzi Al-Abbasi posted the video clip on his Instagram account on 10/12/2022, accompanied by the following text: “From Jerusalem, here are the Atlas Lions,” indicating that the clip was during the World Cup matches. Al-Abbasi mentioned that the person appearing in the video clip is Hatem Abu Sarah.
The palestinerider account on Instagram also published the same video on 10/12/2022, stating that the clip was filmed by Jerusalemite activist Ramzi Al-Abbasi and that the cyclist was Hatem Abu Sarah.
Upon examining Hatem Abu Sarah’s Instagram account, Kashif’s team noticed that Abu Sarah shared several videos and photos wearing the same outfit and riding the bicycle that appeared in the circulated clip. He identifies himself as a bicycle rider.
It is noteworthy that the twenty-second edition of the World Cup kicked off in Qatar and extended from November 20 to December 18, 2022. The Moroccan national team qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup matches and lost to its French counterpart 2-0.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans tore up the Palestinian and Dutch flags and chanted anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian slogans in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, which led to clashes between young men and the club’s fans. Meanwhile, Dutch police announced the arrest of 62 people following the incident.
