Belgium has deployed soldiers to help protect Jewish schools, synagogues, and other community sites after a string of antisemitic attacks jolted Jewish communities in Belgium and neighboring Holland. The military presence began in Brussels and Antwerp on Monday, with Liege expected to be added in later phases, in coordination with federal police.

The move came after an explosion at a synagogue in Liege that Belgian authorities described as antisemitic. It also followed an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam and an explosion at a Jewish school in Amsterdam. Dutch authorities have arrested five suspects, ages 17 to 19, in connection with the Rotterdam synagogue attack. No injuries were reported in those incidents, but the message was unmistakable: Jewish institutions are being targeted.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said the government was putting soldiers back on the streets because “safety is a basic right,” underscoring how seriously Brussels is treating the threat. The deployment reflects a broader European security shift as authorities respond to a sharp rise in attacks and attempted attacks against Jewish sites.