An explosion occurred early Monday morning outside a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège, causing property damage but no injuries.
The blast happened around 4 a.m. local time near the synagogue on Rue Léon Frédéricq. The synagogue’s main window was shattered, and windows in buildings across the street were also blown out by the force of the explosion, according to local residents cited by the French-language Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.
Liège Mayor Willy Demeyer described the incident as a “criminal and antisemitic act.”
“I absolutely condemn this violent act of antisemitism, which runs counter to Liège’s tradition of respect for others,” Demeyer said.
Belgium’s interior minister, Bernard Quintin, also condemned the explosion, calling it a “despicable antisemitic act.”
Local police said the street was closed to traffic while investigators examined the scene.
“There was an explosive device right in front of the synagogue, and the entire facade — all the windows — were blown out,” one resident said. “We woke up from the noise, and when we went downstairs we saw everything had been blown apart.”
Historic synagogue and community site
The synagogue, built in 1899, also serves as a museum displaying religious artifacts and the history of the Jewish community in Liège.
Yves Oschinsky, president of the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organizations in Belgium (CCOJB), an umbrella group representing the country’s Jewish community, condemned the attack.
He described the explosion as “a troubling, serious and deeply worrying antisemitic act.”