Belgium plans to end army protection for Antwerp synagogues
Proposal, which is not yet finalised, would mean Antwep's shuls would no longer have soldiers guarding them
Belgium is planning to stop providing soldiers for security around synagogues in Antwerp.
The plan, which has not been finalised, would end the army’s protection in the city’s Jewish neighbourhood in September. The redeployment is connected with budgetary and manpower issues in Belgium, where COVID-19 has severely impacted the economy and killed more than 9,000 people.
“The Jewish community needs more, not less, protection in these difficult times,” the Forum of Jewish Organizations of Flemish Jews wrote in a statement published Monday about the plan.
Belgian troops were first posted to guard Jewish institutions in Antwerp in May 2014 after an Islamist murdered four people in a terrorist shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, located about 40 miles south of Antwerp.
Antwerp’s centre has about 100 Jewish institutions servicing a predominantly Charedi population of 18,000 people.
In 2018, an unidentified man was filmed stealing mezuzahs from the door frames of 20 Antwerp homes days after a Charedi man and his son narrowly escaped being rammed by a passing vehicle that swerved in the direction onto the pavement while they were walking to synagogue on Shabbat. Police said there was no indication the incident was a hate crime.
In 2017, police apprehended and briefly detained a man who allegedly assaulted a Charedi man on the street in Antwerp while shouting “Jew.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
