Brussels, March 9 – A synagogue in the Belgian city of Liege was damaged by an explosion on Monday, according to local police. The blast occurred in front of the synagogue at around 4 am (local time), causing damage to the windows of the surrounding buildings, a police spokesperson said, as reported by Euro News.
The Liege police spokesperson said that there were no casualties, but material damage was reported. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast.
A security perimeter was established around the site of the incident, with federal police responding to the scene, as reported by Euro News, citing the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.
Liege Mayor Willy Demeyer condemned the incident, calling it an "antisemitic act," adding that "we cannot allow foreign conflicts to be imported into our city."
Earlier on March 7, shots were fired at synagogues in Toronto, Canada, prompting calls for stronger protection for the Jewish community, as reported by Canada's 'The Globe and Mail'.
York Regional Police said that shots were fired shortly after midnight at the doors of Beth Avraham Yosef of Toronto, a synagogue in Thornhill.
Later, the Toronto Police Service received reports of gunfire and found bullet holes in the front door of the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue on Bathurst Street and Glencairn Avenue.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the incident, calling the shooting an "assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians to live and pray in safety."
"Last night, two synagogues in Toronto, Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto in Thornhill and Shaarei Shomayim in North York, were attacked with gunfire. Earlier this week, Temple Emanu-El in North York was also maliciously attacked. These criminal antisemitic attacks are an assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians to live and pray in safety. They are also a fundamental violation of the Canadian way of life," Carney posted on X.
"The federal government will use every tool available to confront antisemitic violence and hatred, and to protect places of worship. Canada's new government has introduced legislation to strengthen the Criminal Code, protect our communities, and combat hate. Federal agencies, including the RCMP, will use every resource to support law enforcement in identifying the perpetrators of these crimes and bringing them to justice," he added.
