Explosion damages synagogue in Liège, politicians condemn “antisemitic act”
An explosion damaged a synagogue in Liège early on Monday morning, shattering windows and causing material damage but leaving no one injured, local police said.
The blast occurred at around 4 a.m. on Léon Frédéricq Street. Windows along the front of the building were blown out, and authorities quickly established a security perimeter around the site while the investigation continued. The street remained closed as police examined the scene.
The synagogue, built in 1899, also serves as a museum for Liège’s Jewish community.
Strong political condemnation
Several Belgian political figures swiftly condemned the incident. Prime minister Bart De Wever responded briefly to X on Monday morning, writing, "Antisemitism is an attack on our values and our society, and we must combat it unequivocally," he said. "We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Liège and throughout the country."
François Desquesnes, Walloon minister for local government, described the explosion as an “antisemitic crime”.
“Places of worship must remain safe, respected, and protected places. They must be spaces for reflection, peace, and freedom. No religious or philosophical community should feel threatened. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by our Constitution, and the government wants to guarantee everyone the conditions to exercise this fundamental freedom,” Desquesnes stated.
“I express my full support to the Jewish community in Liège and call for absolute respect for all places of worship in Wallonia and elsewhere,” Desquesnes added.
Federal interior minister Bernard Quintin (MR) also condemned what he called a “despicable antisemitic act”. According to his office, security measures around similar sites are being strengthened while the federal prosecutor’s office investigates the explosion.
Quintin said security services had already been “extremely vigilant” in recent days because of renewed violence in the Middle East. The minister is due to travel to Liège later on Monday to meet local security officials.
Yvan Verougstraete, president of Les Engagés, called for those responsible to be prosecuted. “Anti-Semitism has no place in our society. Attacking a place of worship, of any kind, is unacceptable,” he wrote on social media. “Freedom of religion and the safety of communities must be guaranteed without fail. We cannot remain neutral in the face of hatred: hatred must be condemned and vigorously combated.”
Security concerns around Jewish institutions
Jewish institutions in Belgium have faced security threats in the past. One of the most serious synagogue attacks occurred in October 1981, when a bomb exploded outside a synagogue in Antwerp, killing three people and injuring more than 100 others as worshippers left a religious service.
The deadliest modern antisemitic attack in Belgium took place on 24 May 2014 at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels. A gunman opened fire inside the museum, killing four people in what authorities described as a terrorist attack motivated by antisemitism.
The shooting was widely seen as the first attack in Europe linked to the Islamic State group and led to significantly increased security around Jewish institutions across the country.
Belgian police conduct their investigation outside the synagogue on Leon Fredericq street, after it was hit overnight by a blast in Liege on March 9, 2026. © JOHN THYS / AFP
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