An explosion occurred outside the synagogue of the Israeli community of Liège, a major landmark for the city’s Jewish community that also houses a museum dedicated to local Jewish heritage.
The blast was heard across the neighbourhood at around 4 am today. No one was injured, but the explosion caused material damage. Windows of the synagogue were blown out, and several buildings located directly opposite also had their windows shattered.
Speaking on La Première radio station, Liège mayor Willy Demeyer strongly condemned what he described as an “extremely violent act of anti-Semitism”.
“From the information communicated to me, there is little doubt,” he said, adding: “The investigation will have to determine this.”
He said the blast occurred directly in front of the building and appeared to involve an explosive device, suggesting the act was intentional and targeted.
In comments to Sudinfo media outlet, the mayor also suggested the incident could be linked to the current geopolitical context in the Middle East.
“The probability that it is connected to the current situation in the Middle East is high,” he said, noting that such targets are relatively rare in Liège compared with cities such as Brussels or Antwerp.
The President of the Co-ordinating Committee of Jewish Organisations in Belgium (CCOJB), Yves Oschinsky, also condemned the attack, describing it as “an extremely worrying, serious and troubling antisemitic act”, in comments to Belga news agency.
Police quickly established a security perimeter around the area, and the street remains closed while investigators continue their work.
The incident has been handed over to the judicial federal police, with investigators currently prioritising a criminal line of inquiry. The investigation is ongoing.
