Belgian Jewish leaders protest reported decision to withdraw cops from Antwerp Jewish district

Belgian Jewish leaders are up in arms after learning that authorities reportedly plan to withdraw police security forces in Antwerp’s Jewish district starting in January, despite soaring antisemitism in the country and around the world.

The 16 federal police officers that had been deployed in the district will be moved to Brussels, and responsibility for the neighborhood’s security will be shifted to local police, Mayor Els van Doesburg revealed on state television Tuesday.

She called the decision “incomprehensible,” saying the city could not allow a security vacuum to emerge, particularly after the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia, in which 15 were killed and dozens injured at a Hanukkah party this week.

Ralph Pais, vice-chair of the Jewish Information and Documentation Centre (JID) says the decision “has created genuine unrest within the Jewish community in Antwerp,” leading to a “profound sense of insecurity.”

“Antisemitic incidents remain frequent and persistent: verbal abuse, intimidation, physical violence, and graffiti continue to occur on a weekly basis, and in some cases even daily,” he says in a statement today. “Many incidents are no longer reported because people feel exhausted or have lost confidence that reporting will make a difference.”

JID is working to reverse the decision, he adds.