An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam, with authorities calling it a targeted attack on the Jewish community.
Explosion at Orthodox Jewish School
The explosion occurred at a school in Amsterdam’s exclusive Buitenveldert district, the only institution in the Netherlands specifically for Orthodox Jews. The explosion damaged a rain pipe, and the outer wall of the building caught fire. No one was injured in the blast.
Surveillance Footage Shows Perpetrator
Surveillance footage shows a person detonating an explosive device at the school, according to “De Telegraaf.” The footage is being analyzed by relevant authorities. Local authorities emphasized they are treating the incident as a “targeted attack on the Jewish community” and are taking it very seriously.
Mayor Femke Halsema called it “a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community.” She assured that police and fire department arrived quickly and the damage from the explosion is minimal.
Increased Security After Rotterdam Attack
Dutch authorities have increased security measures at Jewish schools and institutions following an attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam that occurred Thursday night into Friday. On Friday, Dutch police arrested four men—two aged 17 and 18, and two 19-year-olds—suspected of arson and causing an explosion in front of the building. Police are not ruling out antisemitic motives.
On Monday, an explosion caused a fire in a synagogue in nearby Belgium.
Rising Antisemitism Concerns
“Jews in Amsterdam increasingly encounter antisemitism. This is unacceptable,” said the mayor after the explosion in the school.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten called the Amsterdam attack “terrible” and added that it understandably caused “fear and anger” in the Jewish community. “The security of Jewish institutions has our full attention,” he wrote in a post on X.
Concerns about possible attacks on Jewish communities worldwide have increased after attacks by the USA and Israel on Iran, and Tehran’s subsequent response.
International Developments
Americans are urgently trying to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Along with additional troops, they are deploying drones to the Persian Gulf to counter Iranian Shahed drones. They also bombed the strategically important Iranian island of Kharg.