Belgium will begin deploying military troops to reinforce security at synagogues and Jewish schools in the wake of rising antisemitic threats, lawmakers said Monday.

The decision follows an explosives attack last week at a synagogue in Liège, in the eastern part of the country. A new terror group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, said to be targeting Jewish institutions in Europe, claimed responsibility for that blast, which did not injure anyone.

The group, which is believed to be linked with Iranian terror networks, also said it caused explosions at Jewish institutions in Amsterdam and Rotterdam last week in the Netherlands.

Soldiers in Belgium will begin working alongside local police forces “as soon as possible,” in coordination with the Federal Police, Defense Minister Theo Francken and Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said Monday.

The plan is believed to cover 20 synagogues around the country and four Jewish schools in Antwerp, local media reported. The city is home to most of Belgium’s 30,000 Jews. Estimates say that more than 50 soldiers will patrol with police for “as long as necessary.”

The decision will help protect Belgium’s Jewish community and “support security on our streets,” Francken said on X.

“Antisemitism and hatred against Jews will never be tolerated,” he wrote. “We will stand firm against it, always.”

Public officials, including Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg, began calling for greater protection after the Liège attack on March 9. The Coordination Committee of Jewish Organisations in Belgium (CCOJB) has also requested troops at Jewish sites.

“It is good to see action finally being taken following a series of attacks on Jewish institutions,” said MP Michael Freilich, the country’s only Orthodox Jewish lawmaker, in a statement to The Times of Israel. “It is important that this step has been taken. Safety must come first.”

In December, Quintin announced a plan to withdraw police security forces in Antwerp’s Jewish district starting in January, despite soaring antisemitism in the country and around the world. He later withdrew that plan after it sparked a public outcry.

Following this week’s announcement, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden complained that the decision to deploy soldiers was made without parliamentary debate. Prime Minister Bart De Wever responded that the decision invoked a clause in the law that allows the federal police commissioner to request military support for specific missions.

A similar operation was initiated in 2015, when Operation Vigilant Guardian was launched to fight rising terrorist threats after the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks. That operation remained in place until 2021.

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Antisemitism in Belgium

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