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Report: 3 Jewish youths attacked in Antwerp
Jewish Agency says youths sustain mild injuries after being assaulted by man at Belgian city's Jewish quarter, attributes rise in anti-Semitism in country to Gaza offensive
Three Jewish youths were assaulted in Antwerp this week, Amos Hermon, head of the Jewish Agency's task force on anti-Semitism told Ynet on Friday.
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According to him, a man who arrived at the Belgian city's Jewish quarter struck the youths with a metal rod. Two of the Jews sustained mild injuries in the incident, and the third broke his hand.
Hermon said the past few weeks have seen a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Belgium, prompting the local Jewish community to beef up security at its institutions – particularly schools and synagogues - in Brussels and Antwerp.
The rise in anti-Semitism in Belgium came on the heels of Israel's recent military offensive in Gaza. In some incidents slogans comparing Israel to the Nazis were spray-painted on walls.
"Belgium is one of the more problematic countries when it comes to anti-Israel sentiment, which peaked during the Gaza offensive," Hermon said. "There are more anti-Semitic incidents in Belgium than in any other western European country."
The Jewish Agency official attributed the rise in Belgian anti-Semitism to a "joint effort on the part of the Muslim community, the radical Left and the liberal movements in the country, who have joined the anti-Israel protests following the Gaza offensive."
Some 50,000 Jews live in Belgium.
