Explosion Damages Jewish School in Amsterdam, Sparking Fears of Rising Antisemitism
Amsterdam, Netherlands – An explosion caused damage to a Jewish school in Amsterdam’s Buitenveldert district early Saturday, prompting a swift response from authorities and raising concerns about a surge in antisemitic incidents across Europe and beyond. No injuries were reported.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned the incident as a “deliberate attack against the Jewish community,” adding that Jewish residents of the city are “increasingly confronted with antisemitism,” which she deemed “unacceptable.” Police are reviewing camera footage in an effort to identify the perpetrator.
The blast caused limited damage to the outer wall of the school, officials said. The incident follows a recent arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam, and comes amid heightened anxieties about the safety of Jewish institutions globally.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten described the attack as “horrible,” acknowledging the “fear and anger” it understandably caused within the Jewish community. He affirmed that the safety of Jewish institutions remains a top priority for his government.
The attack in Amsterdam is part of a disturbing pattern of recent incidents targeting Jewish communities worldwide. On Thursday, a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, near Detroit, was the target of an alleged attack by a Lebanese-born US citizen who rammed his car into the building. The attacker, armed with a rifle, was fatally shot by authorities. No one inside the synagogue – which housed 140 children in its early childhood center – was injured. Federal investigators have classified the Michigan incident as an act of violence targeting the Jewish community.
Authorities have noted increased fears of attacks against Jewish communities globally following recent U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran and subsequent military responses from Tehran.
The incidents underscore a growing climate of insecurity for Jewish communities internationally. Security has been tightened at Jewish schools and institutions in the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium, following the attacks in Rotterdam and Liege.
