Brussels – Assailants Try To Set Fire To The Doors of Synagogue

Brussels – Unknown people attempted to set fire to the Beth Hillel Liberal synagogue in southern Brussels using paper and petrol as accelerants, a police spokeswoman said Tuesday.

“The fire set to the door of the synagogue was rapidly extinguished after police intervened,” Fany Wellens said.

A Belgian government spokesman said security forces were taking precautions as street protests against Israel’s operation in Gaza grow in size and in anger.

“We note that the situation is becoming more explosive,” he said.

Scuffles broke out last week following a pro-Palestinian march in the northern city of Antwerp, which has large Jewish and Muslim communities.

Police forces have been put on high alert in the country.

“Police patrols in Antwerp, Brussels and Uccle, where the Israeli embassy is located, have been reinforced, as well as around buildings housing Jewish institutions,” the government said.

In a statement, CCOJB, the umbrella representative body of Jewish organizations in Belgium, expressed its deep concern about the surge of anti-Semitic acts reported over the last days. It called for a meeting with the Belgian authorities to discuss the government’s response to the situation.

The group said the “partial analysis by political, media and association leaders of the Mideast events developments “contributed to import the conflict in our country.”