Jewish community remains main target of threat reports in Belgium
The Jewish community remained the primary target of threat reports in Belgium in 2025, according to the annual report published on Tuesday by the Coordination Body for Threat Analysis (OCAD).
At the same time, the overall number of threat reports handled by OCAD declined compared with the previous year. The agency received 157 reports in 2025, down from 213 in 2024. There was also a noticeable decrease in the number of “serious threats” classified at level 3.
Despite the downward trend, the Jewish community continued to be the most frequently targeted group in potential attacks and acts of violence. “Political authorities followed in second place. The general public, a public building, non-believers, and the police and army were also targeted multiple times,” OCAD stated.
According to the report, around three-quarters of suspected perpetrators acted alone, while the remainder operated in pairs or small cells.
Of the 122 individuals identified by OCAD, 13 per cent were minors, down from 18 per cent in 2024. The suspects mainly planned attacks involving explosives, physical violence or firearms. OCAD stressed, however, that links to weapons or explosives do not necessarily mean individuals possess either the weapons themselves or the skills to use them.
Extremist motivations
More than a third of the reported threats were linked to Islamist extremism, while a quarter were connected to international situations.
“These include cases related to tensions between diaspora communities in Belgium, as well as threats against embassies or Belgian interests abroad, or against foreign embassies in Belgium,” OCAD explained.
According to the report, 13 per cent of threats originated from right-wing extremist groups, while 4 per cent were linked to left-wing extremist motives.
© PHOTO JOHN THYS / AFP
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