Belgium has deployed soldiers to patrol the streets of major cities following a string of antisemitic incidents across Europe, as authorities warn of rising threats targeting Jewish communities.
On Monday, Belgian officials confirmed that troops had been sent to Brussels and Antwerp to reinforce security at Jewish institutions, including synagogues and schools. The move comes after what authorities described as a series of antisemitic attacks in both Belgium and neighboring Netherlands. “From today we're putting soldiers back on the streets in Brussels and Antwerp because safety is a basic right,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said in a statement posted to X. He added that Antwerp “is again a little safer… the Jewish community too. We say NO to antisemitism!”
According to Reuters, the decision follows an explosion earlier this month at a synagogue in Liège, which officials labeled an antisemitic act. In the Netherlands, authorities are also investigating multiple incidents, including an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam and an explosion at a Jewish school in Amsterdam. Dutch police have arrested five suspects between the ages of 17 and 19 in connection with the Rotterdam attack.
The surge in violence is not isolated to continental Europe. In London, four ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a volunteer Jewish emergency medical service, were set on fire early Monday morning in what police are treating as an antisemitic hate crime.
The attack occurred around 1:45 am in Golders Green, a neighborhood with a large Jewish population, near the Machzike Hadath synagogue. According to authorities, individuals in hooded clothing poured an accelerant on the vehicles before igniting them and fleeing. The resulting blaze caused oxygen canisters inside the ambulances to explode, damaging nearby homes and forcing 34 residents to evacuate temporarily.
No injuries were reported, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed that counter-terrorism officers are now leading the investigation. Three suspects remain at large. A group claiming to be Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), which has alleged ties to Iran, has circulated a statement online taking responsibility for the London attack. The claim has not been independently verified. The group also released a video referencing the synagogue’s historical and religious connections to Israel.
European officials and security experts have raised concerns about a broader escalation in antisemitic violence amid heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Elsewhere, Norwegian investigators are probing a bombing targeting the US embassy in Oslo earlier this month, which they have classified as an act of terrorism. No injuries were reported in that incident.
The recent wave of attacks has prompted renewed calls for increased protection of Jewish communities across Europe, as governments scramble to respond to what many leaders describe as a growing and coordinated threat.
On Monday, Belgian officials confirmed that troops had been sent to Brussels and Antwerp to reinforce security at Jewish institutions, including synagogues and schools. The move comes after what authorities described as a series of antisemitic attacks in both Belgium and neighboring Netherlands. “From today we're putting soldiers back on the streets in Brussels and Antwerp because safety is a basic right,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said in a statement posted to X. He added that Antwerp “is again a little safer… the Jewish community too. We say NO to antisemitism!”
According to Reuters, the decision follows an explosion earlier this month at a synagogue in Liège, which officials labeled an antisemitic act. In the Netherlands, authorities are also investigating multiple incidents, including an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam and an explosion at a Jewish school in Amsterdam. Dutch police have arrested five suspects between the ages of 17 and 19 in connection with the Rotterdam attack.
The surge in violence is not isolated to continental Europe. In London, four ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a volunteer Jewish emergency medical service, were set on fire early Monday morning in what police are treating as an antisemitic hate crime.
The attack occurred around 1:45 am in Golders Green, a neighborhood with a large Jewish population, near the Machzike Hadath synagogue. According to authorities, individuals in hooded clothing poured an accelerant on the vehicles before igniting them and fleeing. The resulting blaze caused oxygen canisters inside the ambulances to explode, damaging nearby homes and forcing 34 residents to evacuate temporarily.
No injuries were reported, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed that counter-terrorism officers are now leading the investigation. Three suspects remain at large. A group claiming to be Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), which has alleged ties to Iran, has circulated a statement online taking responsibility for the London attack. The claim has not been independently verified. The group also released a video referencing the synagogue’s historical and religious connections to Israel.
European officials and security experts have raised concerns about a broader escalation in antisemitic violence amid heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Elsewhere, Norwegian investigators are probing a bombing targeting the US embassy in Oslo earlier this month, which they have classified as an act of terrorism. No injuries were reported in that incident.
The recent wave of attacks has prompted renewed calls for increased protection of Jewish communities across Europe, as governments scramble to respond to what many leaders describe as a growing and coordinated threat.
