Belgium Deploys Soldiers to Guard Synagogues and Jewish Schools After Attack

Belgium will deploy soldiers alongside police to guard synagogues and Jewish schools after an antisemitic attack near a synagogue in the city of Liège, the country’s interior and defense ministers announced Monday.

Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Defense Minister Theo Francken said the military would assist federal police in protecting Jewish institutions across the country. The deployment is expected to begin “as soon as possible,” though officials have not yet confirmed how many troops will be involved.

The decision follows a March 9 explosion near the Liège synagogue that shattered windows and caused property damage but left no injuries. Belgian officials described the incident as an antisemitic act and launched an investigation into whether it constituted a terrorist offense. “Against a backdrop of rising antisemitism, the attack on the synagogue in Liège has once again demonstrated that the threat to the Jewish community in Belgium is very real,” Quintin said.

Under the plan, soldiers will assist federal police officers guarding Jewish institutions across Belgium, while police retain operational control. “To protect our Jewish community we are deploying military personnel to assist security on the streets. The security of every citizen must be guaranteed,” Francken said.

The announcement quickly exposed tensions inside Belgium’s coalition government. Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said the decision had not been discussed with the full cabinet beforehand, saying, “This decision was not discussed within the government beforehand.” She added that she intends to raise the issue with ministers and discuss the implications with federal police leadership.

Pressure for stronger protection had been building in the days after the Liège attack. Political leaders including MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez and Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg urged the government to deploy soldiers to guard Jewish institutions.

Belgium’s Coordination Committee of Jewish Organizations (CCOJB) also called for troops to be stationed near synagogues and Jewish schools, warning that police resources alone were not enough to guarantee security.

The security debate has been building for months. In December 2025, Belgian authorities announced that 16 federal police officers assigned to guard Antwerp’s Jewish quarter would be withdrawn beginning in January. The move triggered backlash from Jewish organizations and local officials, who warned it could leave a dangerous security gap. The government later indicated that military support could eventually replace part of the federal deployment.

Belgium previously used soldiers to guard sensitive locations during Operation Vigilant Guardian, launched in 2015 after a wave of Islamist terrorist attacks in Europe. During that operation, troops were stationed outside synagogues, schools, and major public sites across the country.

Officials linked the latest security decision not only to the Liège attack but also to a string of recent incidents targeting Jewish sites elsewhere in Europe. Authorities in the Netherlands reported an explosion and fire outside a synagogue in Rotterdam and a blast near a Jewish school in Amsterdam. Dutch prosecutors said suspects in the Rotterdam case were investigated for acts carried out with terrorist intent. In Norway, an explosion earlier this month targeted the United States embassy, further raising concern among European officials about a broader escalation of attacks.