Belgium to send troops to help protect Jewish sites as war in Iran fuels rising antisemitism

in Rome – Outside the Great Synagogue, in the narrow streets of Rome’s historic Jewish quarter, Italian soldiers roam with automatic weapons slung across their chests. It’s part of a noticeable increase in security following this wave antisemitic incidents throughout Europe.

One of the soldiers told CBS News that the presence came after recent attacks on Jewish sites, including the bombing of a synagogue in Liège, Belgium, last week. The explosion caused damage but no one was injured, but it was enough to prompt the Belgian government to announce that it would send troops to help protect Jewish centers across the country.

A Roman soldier said few people had visited the Jewish quarter recently, wary of repeating the kind of anti-Semitic violence seen in Liège and elsewhere in Europe.

Authorities across Europe have reported an increase in anti-Semitic incidents since the start of the Iran war, including attacks and threats against Jewish communities in Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

In France, officials said they had foiled a terror plot aimed at Jews.

Antisemitism has increased around the world since October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks Israel, and the war Israel started in Gaza in response. The decision by Israel and the US to attack Iran also seems to have reignited antisemitic hatred around the world.

With Israel directly involved in the escalating conflict, Jewish leaders and national security officials in Europe are warning that the risk of reprisal or copycat attacks could rise again.

Belgium’s decision to send troops marks an increased response by at least one European government.

After the attack in Liège, Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin called the move necessary and urgent.

“Against the background of rising antisemitism, the attack on the synagogue in Liège was a stark reminder that the threat facing the Belgian Jewish community is real,” he said. “Ensuring the safety of our citizens is the state’s responsibility in all ways, regardless of other political factors. The deployment of soldiers to strengthen security in Jewish areas will provide direct support to the police.”

Belgian officials say the military will assist law enforcement in monitoring synagogues, schools and community centers, particularly in cities with large Jewish populations such as Brussels and Antwerp, providing preventive and rapid response capabilities.