Belgian authorities are investigating the bombing at a synagogue in Liége as a possible terrorist attack, as the government announced reinforced security around Jewish institutions, calling the plot ‘a despicable antisemitic act’.
At around 4am on Monday, an explosion occurred in front of the synagogue in Liége, Belgium, causing only material damage, mainly shattered windows and facade damage. According to media reports, windows of nearby buildings were also blown out in the blast. However, no injuries were reported, as both the synagogue and the surrounding buildings were empty at the time.
Federal police counterterrorism units soon took over the investigation from local police. Authorities have not reported any suspects or arrests so far at the time of writing.
The Belgian government said the attack directly targeted the Jewish community, prompting it to increase security measures around synagogues and Jewish schools. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever condemned the attack on X, stating that ‘antisemitism is an attack on our values and our society’. Liége Mayor Willy Demeyer also described the blast as an antisemitic act, adding that foreign conflicts should not be ‘imported’ into Belgium.
The attack came amid increasing tensions in the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran at the end of February, which wiped out a significant part of the Persian country’s leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán immediately warned that such a conflict in the region would bring serious consequences for Europe, most notably an increased terrorist threat and rising energy prices. To prevent similar attacks in Hungary, the government raised the level of the terror threat and introduced several countermeasures in recent weeks.
The Liége bombing was preceded by another possible terror attack in Norway. At around 1am on Sunday, 8 March, an explosion hit the US embassy in Oslo, damaging the doors and windows of the building. The blast caused only minor damage and no injuries were reported. The explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device placed in a backpack in front of the embassy’s entrance.
Police are searching for at least one suspect seen on surveillance footage, with the manhunt still ongoing. While the motive remains officially unknown, officials said the attack could be directly linked to the war involving Iran. Terrorism is among the primary motivations being investigated.
The two incidents may be only the beginning of a new wave of terrorism in Europe, similar to what Western European countries faced after the 2015 migration crisis. As PM Orbán recently pointed out, the current terrorist attacks are indirect consequences of the EU’s flawed migration policy, which allowed radical Islamist terrorist cells to enter European territory and created conditions for extremist networks to form. In a video posted on his social media at the end of February, Orbán warned that these networks could be activated following the US–Israeli strikes on Iran—a prediction that already appears to be confirmed.
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