Explosion at Amsterdam Jewish school ‘a deliberate attack’ says mayor

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Jaroslav Lukiv

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The authorities reported damage to the school’s outer wall

An explosion has damaged a Jewish school in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, in what the city mayor condemned as a “deliberate attack against the Jewish community”.

Mayor Femke Halsema said the overnight blast caused limited damage to the outer wall of the school in the Buitenveldert district. No injuries were reported.

“This is a cowardly act of aggression towards the Jewish community,” Halsema said, stressing that Amsterdam “must be a place where Jews can live safely”.

Security had already been beefed up at Jewish public institutions, following a suspected arson attack on a synagogue in the port city of Rotterdam on Friday.

Dutch firefigthers and police were quickly deployed to the scene after the explosion, local media reported.

They also said police were now examining CCTV footage reportedly showing a person placing explosives.

In a statement shortly after the blast, Halsema said: "I understand the fear and anger of Jewish Amsterdammers.

“The are increasingly confronted with antisemitism, and that is unacceptable,” the mayor added.

An investigation is now under way, and so far police have not publicly commented on possible motives of the attack.

There have been concerns that Jewish and US communities around the world could be targeted, following joint Israeli-US strikes against Iran.

Europe

Amsterdam

Antisemitism

Netherlands