Belgium: Synagogue Bombed in Liege

Early Monday morning in Liege, Belgium, a bomb went off in front of a Jewish synagogue. There were no injuries, but there was damage to the front of the building.

The below article from Standaard (Belgium) is translated by Fousesquawk. A subtitled video is pending.

Caption: "The facade shook, and when I went downstairs, I saw smoke everywhere," says a resident in the neighborhood.

Explosion at synagogue in Liege-Federal Prosecutor's Office sees, "possible indications of terrorist crime"

Early Monday morning, an explosion took place at a synagogue in Liege. There were no injuries. Premier Bart De Wever (N-VA) and Interior Minister Vernard Quintin (MR) are calling it anti-Semitism. Security measures at Jewish sites will be strengthened.

On Monday morning, around 4 am, there was an expolsion at the synagogue in Liege, on Rue Leon Fredericq. There were no casualities, but there is material damage to the windows on the facade of the building. Three cars were damaged.  

An investigation has been opened and turned over to the federal prosecutor's office. In a press release, the prosecutor's office confirmed that there are "possible indications of a terrorist crime." "The precise circumstances of the act will be fully investigated," it said.

Premier Bart De Wever (N-VA), in a statement on X, called it anti-Semitism and "an attack on our values and our society". "We are in solidarity with the Jewish community in Liege and in the entire country," it said. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) also responded on X to what he describes as a "terrible anti-Semitic act directly targeted against the Jewish community in Belgium." 

The minister will visit Liege this afternoon, where he will speak to the security forces. Since the latest violence in the Middle East, they are "extremely vigilant" around Jewish sites. The security measures at similar sites will be further strengthened, Quintin's office confirmed.

Bill White, the American ambassador, has also gone to Liege. In his reaction, he called it an anti-Semitic attack in Belgium. "Normally, this is a place of happiness, where marriages take place. It is said that there are no injuries, but everyone who lives in the neighborhood is a victim. We must do more against anti-Semitism. It is increasing in the US and in Europe." 

External conflict

The mayor of Liege, Willy Demeyer (PS), reacted with indignation to the incident. "This is a violent anti-Semitic act, which we strongly reject," Demeyer said in a written statement. It goes against the Liege tradition of respect for others. It cannot be that external conflicts are imported into our city." 

The mayor called it an attack. "It was a bomb, not a Molotov cocktail or something small. We will speak immediately with the Ocad (the Coordination Organ for Threat assessment) to see if we will raise the threat level."

In Liege, there are some 500 Jews. "I have been the rabbi of this community for 25 years," said Joshua Nejman, the synagogue's rabbi to RTBF. "We have not experienced this in 25 years."