‘Deliberate attack’: explosion damages Jewish school in Amsterdam | Netherlands

An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early on Saturday; the city’s mayor described it as “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community.”

Mayor Femke Halsema said in a press release that the explosion at the school, located in an upscale residential area in the south of Amsterdam, caused only limited damage, as police and fire crews quickly arrived at the scene.

No injuries were reported.

Security at synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Dutch capital had been increased following an overnight arson attack on a synagogue in central Rotterdam on Friday.

In neighboring Belgium, an explosion caused a fire in a synagogue in Liege on Monday.

“This is a cowardly attack against the Jewish community,” Halsema said.

“Jews in Amsterdam are increasingly facing antisemitism. This is unacceptable.”

Following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the subsequent response from Tehran, concerns about possible attacks on Jewish communities around the world have increased.