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An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early on Saturday, in what the city’s mayor described as ‘a deliberate attack against the Jewish community.’ The incident has sparked concern over rising anti-Semitism, particularly in the wake of recent attacks on Jewish institutions in the Netherlands and Belgium. According to Mayor Femke Halsema, the explosion at the school in an upscale residential neighborhood on the south side of Amsterdam only caused limited damage, with police and firefighters arriving at the scene quickly. No injuries were reported. The school, which is the only one specifically for orthodox Jews in the Netherlands, had already been the subject of earlier threats and was largely fenced off by a pointed, metal outer wall. Security at synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Dutch capital had already been heightened after an overnight arson attack at a synagogue in the center of Rotterdam on Friday. In neighboring Belgium, an explosion caused a fire at a synagogue in Liege on Monday. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten called the attack in Amsterdam ‘horrible’ and said it understandably caused ‘fear and anger’ in the Jewish community. ‘The safety of Jewish institutions has our full attention,’ he said in a post on social media. The incident has also raised concerns about possible attacks against Jewish communities around the world, particularly in the wake of US and Israeli attacks on Iran and a subsequent response from Tehran. In Pakistan, where there is a small but significant Jewish community, concerns about anti-Semitism are also being felt. While there have been no reported incidents of anti-Semitic attacks in Pakistan, the country’s Jewish community remains vigilant. The incident in Amsterdam serves as a reminder of the need for increased vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies and Jewish communities to prevent such attacks. As Mayor Halsema said, ‘Jewish people in Amsterdam are increasingly confronted with antisemitism. This is unacceptable.’ The international community must come together to condemn such acts of violence and work towards creating a more tolerant and inclusive society for all.
