An “antisemitism epidemic is raging” in the Netherlands, Israel has said after an explosion outside a Jewish primary school in Amsterdam.
The blast, which occurred early on Saturday morning, was the second antisemitic attack in the country in as many days, officials said.
No injuries were reported, with the explosion causing light damage to the wall it detonated against.
A manhunt is underway as Dutch authorities search for the two people they believe to be behind the attack, with police examining CCTV footage reportedly showing a person placing explosives.
Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, described the incident as “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community” and a “cowardly act of aggression”.
She said in a statement on Saturday morning: “I understand the fear and anger of Jewish Amsterdammers. They are increasingly confronted with antisemitism, and that is unacceptable.”
A new group calling itself Ashab Al Yamin has claimed responsibility for the attack, publishing a video on social media showing the explosion outside of the school, filmed by a person on a motorbike that quickly departs the scene.
The group also claimed responsibility for the bombing of a synagogue in Liege, Belgium, on Monday and an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam – about 40 miles southeast of the capital – on Friday.
Dutch police said on Friday they had arrested four men, all aged from 17 to 19, on suspicion of setting off the explosion in Rotterdam.
Following the blast, police monitored other synagogues as a precaution and stopped a vehicle near another shul driven by someone matching the description of one of the suspects, they said.
"It is not yet clear whether the suspects planned to detonate an explosive or set fire to another synagogue as well," they said in a statement.
Following the school attack, Israel’s foreign ministry said: “In the Netherlands, an antisemitism epidemic is raging.”
In a post on X first referring to a series of attacks on Israeli fans of the football team Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam in November 2024, the ministry said: “We saw its scope in the pogrom against Israelis in Amsterdam in November 2024. In the attack on the synagogue in Rotterdam two days ago. In the attack on a Jewish school in Amsterdam yesterday.”
It continued: “Where will the next attack be? The Dutch government needs to do much more to fight antisemitism.”
There has been a string of attacks targeting Jewish institutions in Europe and North America since the outbreak of the Iran War, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
On Thursday, a man rammed his truck through the doors and down the corridor of Temple Israel Synagogue in Michigan, the largest Reform shul in the US, before being killed by security guards there.
In Toronto, three synagogues have been hit with gunfire in a matter of days, while in Norway, three people were arrested earlier this month on suspicion of possessing illegal firearms and explosive equipment outside Oslo Synagogue, the country’s largest shul.
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