The Jewish community in Antwerp is breathing a sigh of relief after Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced on Thursday that security in Jewish neighborhoods will remain unchanged, following reports that federal police protection would be withdrawn.
Responding to questions from lawmakers Michael Freilich and Daniel Bacquelaine, Quintin said security at Jewish-related sites would continue to meet current standards, whether provided by local or federal police in Antwerp or elsewhere in Belgium. “I want to be completely transparent here: there have indeed been discussions with the Antwerp local police and local authorities,” he also said.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) welcomed the decision to keep federal police forces in Antwerp’s Jewish district, noting that Quintin met with elected officials and Jewish representatives before making the announcement.
The EJA said in a statement that Jewish communities across Europe and beyond have repeatedly been targeted by terrorist attacks, citing incidents in Brussels, Halle, Pittsburgh, Manchester and, most recently, Australia. “These acts show that antisemitic violence is not local, isolated or spontaneous, but part of a broader extremist threat that requires coordination, vigilance and determination at all levels of government,” the group said.
The association expressed its “sincere appreciation” to Quintin for addressing these concerns and preventing any security vacuum, and praised Freilich, a Jewish lawmaker who raised the issue in parliament and also serves as the EJA’s special envoy for intercultural dialogue.
Freilich told parliament that, although Jews make up only a small percentage of Europe’s population, “they face a disproportionate level of danger simply because of who they are,” stressing that proactive protection is a matter of responsibility, not symbolism.