Four males have been arrested in the Netherlands following suspected arson after an explosion caused a fire at the entrance to a synagogue in Rotterdam on Friday.
The blast at the Synagogue of the Jewish Community of Rotterdam, commonly called the A.B.N. Davidsplein Synagogue, occurred at about 3:40 a.m. and ignited a small fire at the building’s entrance, police said. The flames were quickly extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
The teenagers, who are between the ages of 17 and 19, were detained after police stopped a suspicious vehicle near another synagogue.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Islamist movement Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right), a pro-Iran jihadist group, is sharing footage of the explosion in a video that features the group’s logo.
StandWithUs said the attack “comes amid a wave of violence targeting Jewish communities this week, including incidents in Michigan, Norway, and other locations,” sharing video of the explosion in Rotterdam.
Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, stated that “Jewish communities will not be intimidated by such horrific acts of violence, and I am thankful for the swift response by local police.
“The United States stands against antisemitism and this fundamental threat to our religious freedom,” he wrote.
