7 arrested over North Macedonia synagogue arson, country’s first antisemitic attack since WWII

North Macedonian authorities have arrested seven suspects in the attempted arson attack on the Jewish community building in the capital Skopje last month.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says he was informed by North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Timko Mocinski that the suspects will be prosecuted.

The attack in mid-April on the Beth Yaakov Synagogue, the country’s only synagogue, is believed to have been the first antisemitic attack in North Macedonia since World War II. Photos shared on social media showed the synagogue’s door and courtyard charred by fire.

???????? Skopje, North Macedonia, April 12, 2026: According to local reports, an arson attack targeted the entrance of a synagogue and Jewish community building early this morning.

Two individuals set fire to the door before fleeing. pic.twitter.com/DJBVSa7ax3

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) April 12, 2026

The country, with a total population of some 1.8 million people, has only about 200 Jews, with nearly all of them based in Skopje. Before the Holocaust, the country had nearly 8,000 Jews and five synagogues in Bitola, and some 3,000 Jews in Skopje, according to the World Jewish Congress.

Sa’ar has thanked his counterpart for the swift and determined handling of the serious antisemitic incident, the Foreign Ministry says.