Damage to Jewish property in Europe continues: An Islamic group claimed responsibility overnight (Tuesday) for setting fire to a vehicle in a Haredi neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium. Two suspects were arrested.
Three masked individuals set a car ablaze outside a Jewish-owned restaurant in Antwerp. The vehicle did not belong to a Jewish owner, but the attackers believed it belonged to a member of the local Haredi community.
Footage of the arson and extinguishing
(Video: Shmira Antwerp)
Thanks to a swift response by night patrol teams from the Jewish volunteer groups Haverim and Shmira, the fire was extinguished before it could spread to nearby vehicles. According to Belgian reports, two suspects were detained. Patrol teams continued overnight rounds to help secure the community.
In a statement accompanied by footage of the arson, the Islamic group said Antwerp is one of Europe’s most important cities due to its strategic location and economic role, particularly in the diamond trade. It also noted the presence of a large “Zionist community,” describing the city as having special religious and cultural significance for some Jews and referring to it as the “Jerusalem of the North.”
The group added that the city’s main street, Meir, was a target, and warned that its operations would escalate and intensify until what it called the liberation of “occupied” Palestinian lands and in retaliation for the deaths of Palestinians, Lebanese and other Muslims.
The incident comes a day after a similar case in London, where four ambulances belonging to the Haredi emergency organization Hatzalah were set on fire in Golders Green.
In recent days, security has been reinforced in Antwerp’s Haredi neighborhoods, with Belgian soldiers deployed outside synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions amid a rise in antisemitic incidents in Belgium and across Europe. Operational responsibility remains with the federal police, in coordination with the Defense Ministry.
Members of the local community said they felt safer following the deployment. Zvi Graskopf, head of the Shomrim organization in Antwerp, said security around community institutions has been increased in recent weeks following an explosion in Liege and other incidents.