A powerful explosion rocked the façade of a synagogue in Liège, Belgium, early on Monday morning, resulting in no injuries.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion that took place around 4 a.m., damaging buildings and property, the Le Matin daily reported. The incident has not yet been determined to be an attack on the synagogue, AFP reported.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever suggested the motive was antisemitic, writing on X: “Antisemitism is an attack on our values and our society, and we must fight it unequivocally.” He added: “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Liège and across the country.”
The blast shattered some of the windows of the Synagogue de Liège on Léon Frédéricq Street, police told AFP. The area has been cordoned off as federal and local police investigate the blast, the report said.
Michael Freilich, a Jewish Orthodox lawmaker from De Wever’s New Flemish Alliance party, tied the incident to what he described as judicial failures to punish antisemitic crimes.
“When antisemitism is not a priority for prosecutors, with dozens of cases dismissed, an atmosphere of impunity is created,” Freilich wrote on X. “Physical attacks are, sadly, a predictable consequence. The zero-tolerance promised once against antisemitic acts is running up against a lethargic justice system. My appeal to the government: finally act on this.”
The synagogue affected was established in 1899. It also serves as a Jewish museum.
The building features a striped stone façade with alternating light and reddish horizontal bands. Its design reflects neo-Romanesque architecture with Moorish references, rounded arches, symmetrical towers and decorative stonework.
A large circular rose window sits at the center above a row of arched windows and entrances, while two square towers with dark, rounded roofs frame the façade. The structure faces a quiet city street lined with bollards and neighboring buildings.
