Man attempts to torch Israeli Embassy in Netherlands

Police in the Netherlands have arrested a man who attempted to break into the Israeli Embassy in The Hague on Friday and set it on fire.

“The perpetrator was carrying incendiary materials and has been arrested by the police,” the embassy in the Netherlands wrote in Dutch on X, adding that it was “deeply concerned.” No one was hurt in the incident.

The embassy thanked the Dutch police for the “swift arrest” and called on the Dutch government to “take appropriate measures and condemn this attack.”

Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Zvi Vapni said, “This is another vile act, but we are not intimidated. We expect this act of hate and violence to be clearly and forcefully condemned.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said on X that the “abhorrent attempt to set fire to the Israeli embassy in The Hague was foiled and the suspect was arrested. Hatred and violence will not deter us—the Israeli flag will continue to fly proudly around the world.”

The incident follows several assaults on property suffered by the Israeli Embassy and the Jewish community in The Hague over the past year.

Last month, the Dutch police arrested suspects after the entrance to the Israeli embassy was smashed and covered in red paint. “This cowardly act is yet another illustration of the dangerous consequences of increasing hatred and incitement,” the diplomatic mission stated on Aug. 12.

A week earlier, anti-Israel activists threw red paint on the parliament building and the offices of a Jewish community group in The Hague.

Last year, CIDI documented 421 antisemitic incidents, a record high that surpassed the previous all-time peak by 11%, which was reported in 2023. The increase was attributed to the war in Gaza.