A Muslim man struck a 16-year-old ultra-Orthodox boy who was returning from yeshiva on Friday on a central street in Antwerp, knocking off his hat. Members of the volunteer security group “Shomrim” managed to detain the attacker and hand him over to police, where he was taken in for questioning. According to reports, he is known to authorities.
In recent weeks, at least eight attacks against Jews have been recorded in the Belgian city, four of them targeting children, some of them believed to be antisemitic. Shomrim said the incidents have increased since the outbreak of Operation Roaring Lion.
Attack on an ultra-Orthodox teen in Antwerp
(Video: Shomrim, Chaverim)
Zvi Graskopf, chairman of the organization in Antwerp, sent a message of reassurance to the Jewish community, noting that patrols across the city have been stepped up. According to him, volunteers regularly patrol the streets and remain in contact with police to ensure maximum security in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
The heightened security comes after an explosion outside a synagogue in the city of Liege last week. Although there were no injuries, the blast shattered windows in buildings across the street. The mayor of Liege described the act as “criminal and antisemitic.” The synagogue also serves as a museum documenting the history of the city’s Jewish community. Local police are continuing to investigate, but no suspects have been arrested so far.
In neighboring Netherlands, attacks and threats have also been reported. A Jewish school in Amsterdam experienced assaults during the Sabbath, and last Thursday there was an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam. The incidents have raised concern among Jewish communities, which are calling on authorities to increase security before a potential tragedy occurs.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, a representative of US President Donald Trump on combating antisemitism, visited Antwerp on Saturday. Speaking before hundreds of worshippers at the Shomrei Hadas community synagogue, he said that during a visit to Brussels he raised concerns with the Belgian government over a proposed ban on circumcision, which he described as “a form of modern antisemitism.”
According to Kaploun, the policy stems from the mistaken view that circumcision is a “medical problem,” but in practice harms a Jewish tradition that has existed for thousands of years. The rabbi called for unity among communities in the fight against antisemitism.