^{The Rotterdam Synagogue}

Rotterdam: Police detain four suspects in arson and explosion at a synagogue. The Minister of Justice and Security describes it as an “antisemitic” act.

A fire, followed by an explosion, damaged the entrance of a synagogue in Rotterdam early this morning. The Netherlands’ Minister of Justice and Security described the incident as an “act of antisemitic violence.”

Dutch police say they have arrested four young men on suspicion of setting off an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief blaze and damage to the building.

After the blast, police monitored other synagogues as a precaution and stopped a vehicle near another building driven by someone matching the description of one of the suspects.

“It is not yet clear whether the suspects planned to detonate an explosive device or set fire to another synagogue as well,” police said in a statement.

Two of the suspects were 19 years old, one was 18, and the fourth was 17, police said, without specifying any possible motive.

Authorities said they are launching a “large-scale investigation into this serious incident” and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

An unverified video showing an explosion near a building resembling the targeted synagogue has circulated on social media. Police say they are examining the footage as part of their investigation.

Justice Minister David van Weel said the attack was “terrible news.”

“We will not tolerate antisemitism, intimidation, or violence. Local authorities are ensuring the safety of synagogues,” he wrote on X.

The minister expressed solidarity with the Dutch Jewish community, adding: “They must feel safe in the Netherlands.”

Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten said the attack had caused “a great deal of anxiety among our Jewish fellow citizens.”

“There is no place for antisemitism, intimidation, violence, or hatred toward religious communities in our city,” Schouten added.

The synagogue’s chairman, Chris den Hoedt, told public broadcaster NOS that the attack was “shocking, although not entirely unexpected.”

“This is material damage,” he said, showing the scorched doors of the building.
“But the emotional damage our community feels is greater and longer-lasting. We can repair this (the door), but not the rest,” he added.

The FBI is investigating Thursday’s attack, on March 12, as an “act of violence against the Jewish community.”

A Lebanese-born U.S. citizen who lost family members in a recent Israeli attack in Lebanon is suspected of carrying out a car bomb attack against a large synagogue in West Bloomfield, near Detroit, Michigan.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said all indications point to the perpetrator being Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, who was shot dead by security guards at the Temple Israel synagogue. The results of a forensic examination are still pending to confirm his identity, as his body was severely burned.

Ghazali was born in Lebanon and entered the United States on May 10, 2011, through Detroit. He held an immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and applied for naturalization in October 2015, which was granted in February 2016.

At the time of the attack, approximately 140 children were in a nursery at the synagogue; no one was injured.

Dale Young, police chief of West Bloomfield, said that a call to emergency services at 12:19 p.m. (4:19 p.m. in mainland Portugal) reported “an active shooter situation at Temple Israel, where an individual drove his car into the building.”

“The temple’s security personnel approached the individual and neutralized the threat,” Young said at a press conference.

The synagogue’s security chief had to be transported to hospital after being struck by the vehicle, and 30 police officers were also treated for smoke inhalation due to a fire caused when the car crashed into the building.

“The building was completely engulfed in flames,” said Mike Bouchard, the Oakland County Sheriff.

Source: Times of Israel and Miriam Assor