Belgium will enhance the security of Jewish centers such as synagogues and schools by deploying military personnel to support the police already operating in these locations. This decision was made by the country's authorities following an attack that took place two weekends ago in front of the synagogue in the city of Liege. "In a context of rising anti-Semitism, the attack on the Liege synagogue reminded us that the threat facing the Jewish community in Belgium is very real," said Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Cautin, in a statement reported by the news agency Belga. The statement clarifies that authorities have not yet determined the number of troops to be mobilized. This measure also takes into account similar attacks in the Netherlands and Norway. The police will retain operational control over the security measures, which will be designed "in close collaboration" with the Ministry of Defense. "With this deployment, we are reinforcing police services and contributing to the protection of the Jewish community in our country," explained Defense Minister Theo Francken, as reported by the Flemish broadcaster VRT. By this decision, Belgium is once again turning to its armed forces to secure sites linked to the Jewish community, as it did in 2015 in response to the terrorist threat at the time. The Belgian government was already considering the deployment of its armed forces following the outbreak of war in the Middle East, but the decision was accelerated after an explosion that occurred early last Sunday morning in front of a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liege (southeast), an act that did not cause any injuries. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever described the attack as "anti-Semitic," and the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating it as a possible act of terrorism. Days later, an explosion in Amsterdam followed by a fire caused minor damage to the exterior of a building in a "cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community," according to a statement from the city's mayor, Femke Halsema.
