Explosion damages synagogue in Liège: Belgian authorities condemn antisemitic attack

An early-morning explosion rocked a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège on Monday, causing significant material damage but no injuries, in what officials have unanimously described as a deliberate antisemitic act. The blast, occurring around 4 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), blew out the synagogue’s front windows and door, as well as those of nearby buildings across the street, according to local police and witnesses.

The incident has prompted a federal investigation by Belgium’s anti-terrorism unit, with security measures reinforced at Jewish institutions nationwide amid escalating global tensions from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported that the explosion appeared to involve an “explosive device planted or thrown” outside one of the synagogue’s main doors, as described by Rabbi Joshua Nejman, the local rabbi.

“It took out the windows and the door itself,” Nejman told RTBF, adding that a resident above the synagogue heard a loud bang but initially mistook it for a gas explosion.

The synagogue, located on a residential street along the river Meuse opposite Liège’s city center, also serves as a Jewish community museum and is home to a small but vibrant Jewish population of around 700 in the area.

VRT, another major Belgian broadcaster, confirmed the blast’s timing and noted that police quickly cordoned off the area, with forensic teams combing the site for evidence.

Liège Mayor Willy Demeyer condemned the attack as an “extremely violent act of antisemitism,” emphasizing in interviews with RTBF and other local media that “there can be no question of importing external conflicts” into Belgium— a veiled reference to the ongoing Middle East crisis.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin echoed this sentiment on X, calling it “a despicable antisemitic act that directly targeted the Jewish community of Belgium” and announcing enhanced security around similar sites.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever also expressed solidarity on social media, stating, “Antisemitism is an attack on our values and our society, and we must fight it unequivocally.”

The federal prosecutor’s office, which handles cases involving terrorism and organized crime, has taken over the investigation, signalling the gravity of the incident.

Eitan Bergman, vice-president of the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organizations in Belgium (CCOJB), told Belgian media of the community’s profound shock, mixing sadness and worry, especially given Liège’s historically peaceful Jewish presence.

This attack comes against a backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents in Europe, fuelled by the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran since late February 2026, which have heightened fears of imported violence.

In a show of international support, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White visited the site later that day, offering solidarity to the Jewish community.

White, a Trump appointee since November 2025 and a former consulting firm founder who donated to Trump’s campaign, posted on X en route: “On my way now to Liège to the Synagogue in Liege, Wallonia, Belgium to offer our solidarity for the great Jewish Community there.”

His visit underscores U.S. concern over antisemitism in Europe, but it also recalls his own recent controversies. Just weeks earlier, in February 2026, White sparked a diplomatic row by accusing Belgian officials of antisemitism over an Antwerp investigation into illegal ritual circumcisions performed by untrained mohels in the Orthodox Jewish community.

In a fiery X post, he demanded Belgium drop the “RIDICULOUS AND ANTI SEMITIC ‘PROSECUTION'” and tagged President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and others, calling it “unacceptable harassment.”

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot summoned White, labeling his remarks “dangerous disinformation” that undermined the fight against hatred and interfered with judicial independence.

Prévot emphasized that “any suggestion that Belgium is antisemitic is false, offensive, and unacceptable,” while White defended his stance as protecting religious freedoms.

The incident highlighted tensions in U.S.-Belgian relations under the Trump administration, with critics accusing White of overstepping diplomatic norms.

With Reuters and RTBF.

Caption: Police officers secure the area outside a synagogue after an explosion in Liege, Belgium, 09 March 2026. The blast occurred at around 04:00 local time outside the synagogue on Rue Leon Fredericq, shattering windows and causing material damage, while no injuries were reported, as Belgian authorities launched an investigation into the incident. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET