An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam

An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early on Saturday morning, which Mayor Femke Halsema described as a ‘deliberate attack on the Jewish community’.

The explosion at the school in an affluent residential neighbourhood in southern Amsterdam caused only limited damage, as police and firefighters arrived at the scene quickly, the mayor said. No injuries were reported.

‘This is a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community,’ Halsema said. ‘Jews in Amsterdam are facing antisemitism with increasing frequency. This is unacceptable.’

Dutch MP and leader of the Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, also commented on the incident on social media. ‘Antisemitism is growing every day. It is unacceptable. Action must be taken. Prime Minister Jetten, Mayor Halsema and the police would rather attend iftars, the evening meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan, than fight hatred towards Jews,’ he wrote.

Security measures at synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Dutch capital had already been stepped up following Friday night’s arson attack on a synagogue in central Rotterdam.

In neighbouring Belgium, an explosion on Monday caused a fire at a synagogue in Liège.

(Reuters, luc)