Audio By Carbonatix
An explosion struck overnight at a Jewish school in Amsterdam in what the city’s mayor called a “targeted attack against the Jewish community.”
The blast hit the outer wall of the school, located in Buitenveldert, considered the city’s modern Jewish quarter and home to synagogues, religious schools and Jewish restaurants.
Police have obtained images of the person who allegedly detonated the bomb, the City of Amsterdam told CNN in a statement.
Security in Amsterdam had been heightened following antisemitic incidents in Rotterdam and Liège in neighboring Belgium earlier the same week, the City of Amsterdam statement said.
“This is a cowardly act of aggression towards the Jewish community,” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said “there must be no place for antisemitism” in the Netherlands. “I understand the anger and fear and will quickly engage in talks with the Jewish community. They must always feel safe in our country,” he posted on X.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday that he held calls with Dutch Jewish community leaders after the explosions, expressing Israel’s “solidarity” with Jews in the Netherlands.
The incident appears to be part of a recent wave of antisemitic violence in Europe amid the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
On Friday, an explosion at the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second largest city, sparked a fire at the entrance of a synagogue.
Four teenage boys have been arrested following the overnight arson attack, Rotterdam police said in a statement.
Police said that that blaze was caused by an explosive device that detonated at the synagogue. The fire broke out for a short time before burning out by itself, police said, adding that no one was injured.
The four suspects, aged 17, 18 and 19, were arrested in the vicinity of another synagogue after a vehicle that was driving erratically drew the attention of authorities.
In Belgium, a synagogue in the city of Liège was rocked by an explosion on Monday in what the city’s mayor described as an antisemitic attack, according to local media reports.
In Michigan in the US, a synagogue was targeted in a car-ramming attack on Thursday. Though the motive in that incident is still unknown, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that there’s a clear “nexus” between the Iran war and the attack, adding it’s no coincidence the suspect targeted a synagogue named Temple Israel.
Latest Stories
-
Sanitation crisis: Minority demands dedicated fund as municipalities struggle with basic waste collection
14 minutes -
Deadly shark attack prompts rare kill order in Western Australia
14 minutes -
192 cocaine wraps confirmed in Wa drug bust
15 minutes -
Arrest everyone involved in the handling chain of cocaine-linked container – Kofi Bentil
40 minutes -
Saudi Arabia issues first air raid alerts for Riyadh since Houthis escalated attacks
40 minutes -
Oti Police intercept truck with 5,164 suspected narcotic parcels
56 minutes -
We don’t have the capacity to effectively monitor our ports – Oliver Vormawor
1 hour -
NACOC exclusion from routine sea port checks contributing to rising cocaine trafficking – Akwatia MP
1 hour -
3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine bust in France a national embarrassment to Ghana – Kofi Bentil
1 hour -
Kofi Bentil questions Mahama’s meetings with security officials over cocaine shipment linked to Ghana
1 hour -
GES orders SHS heads to stop unauthorised charges, warns of sanctions
1 hour -
Police’s conflicting identities for ‘Ghana Jollof’ embarrassing – Lawyer for remanded nurse
2 hours -
Ghana Jollof case: Nursing officer’s lawyers challenge remand, seek High Court bail
2 hours -
Kofi Adams clarifies government’s position on funding supporters for major tournaments
2 hours -
University of Ghana athletes return from 12th FASU Games after medal success in Cairo
2 hours