Blast at Jewish school in Amsterdam marks third attack in Europe this week
Photo: explosion in Amsterdam — third attack on Jewish sites in Europe in a week (Getty Images)
On the morning of March 14, an explosion occurred in an upscale district in southern Amsterdam, damaging a Jewish school. Authorities classified the incident as a deliberate attack, according to Reuters.
What happened
The explosion occurred on Saturday morning in a residential neighborhood in the south of the city.
The building of the Jewish school sustained minor damage, but no one was killed or injured.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema reacted sharply.
“Jewish people in Amsterdam are increasingly confronted with antisemitism. This is unacceptable,” she said.
Halsema also called the attack “a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community.”
What is known about the suspects
Investigators are reviewing surveillance camera footage that shows a person activating the explosive device.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the extremist group Islamic Movement of the Right Companions.
According to Mossad, the group also released a video showing the moment of the detonation.
UPDATE: The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right claims responsibility for the attack on a Jewish school in Amsterdam, releasing a video that appears to show the detonation of an incendiary device.
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) March 14, 2026
The newly formed extremist group has also been linked to several… https://t.co/39x8Uh1NOh pic.twitter.com/VT8LyFFBOW
The organization is reportedly a newly formed group linked to several recent antisemitic attacks.
Series of incidents in the region
The explosion in Amsterdam is not an isolated incident. In recent days, attacks on Jewish sites have also occurred in neighboring countries:
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Friday night: a synagogue in central Rotterdam was set on fire.
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Monday: an explosion caused a fire at a synagogue in Liège, Belgium.
In the case of the Rotterdam incident, Dutch police have already arrested four suspects.
Following the arson attack, security at synagogues and Jewish institutions in Amsterdam was increased.
Rising antisemitism in Europe
French philosopher and public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy has warned about growing antisemitism in the West.
According to him, the trend is part of a broader “fatigue with democracy” affecting European societies.
Read more in the RBC-Ukraine article named "Europeans and Americans behave as sleepwalkers, walking through abyss.' Interview with Bernard-Henri Lévy."
Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich also said that antisemitism is increasing in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France.
In France, he noted, the Jewish population has declined by dozens of percent over the past six to seven years.
At the same time, he said Ukraine stands out: no Jewish communities have closed, most rabbis have returned, and almost all synagogues remain open.
