An explosion lightly damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early Saturday, in what Mayor Femke Halsema described as “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community.”
The blast, which occurred in an upscale residential area on the city’s south side, caused minor damage to a rainpipe and charred an outer wall. No injuries were reported.
“This is a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community,” Halsema said, adding that antisemitism is increasingly confronting Jewish residents in Amsterdam. The mayor confirmed that security at Jewish institutions would be further increased in response.
The targeted school is the only institution specifically for Orthodox Jews in the Netherlands and is already largely fenced with a pointed metal wall due to previous threats.
Security for synagogues and Jewish institutions in Amsterdam had already been heightened following an overnight arson attack at a synagogue in Rotterdam on Friday. Earlier this week, a synagogue in Liege suffered a fire caused by an explosion.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten called the Amsterdam attack “horrible”, acknowledging the fear and anger it caused within the Jewish community. “The safety of Jewish institutions has our full attention,” he wrote on X.
Authorities note that concerns over potential attacks on Jewish communities globally have increased following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent responses.