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The vehicle was ignited outside what was believed to be a Jewish-owned restaurant, though it was later determined not to belong to a Jew.
By Shula Rosen
Three masked suspects set a car on fire in a Haredi neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium, in what authorities described as a suspected antisemitic incident, as an Islamic group claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks, Reuters reported.
The vehicle was ignited outside what was believed to be a Jewish-owned restaurant, though it was later determined not to belong to a Jew.
The attackers had believed the car was owned by a member of the local Haredi community.
The fire was quickly brought under control by volunteer patrol groups Haverim and Shmira, which responded during overnight rounds and prevented the flames from spreading to nearby vehicles.
Patrol teams continued operating in the area afterward to help secure the neighborhood.
Belgian authorities detained two suspects following the incident. A Belgian official told Reuters that two minors were arrested during the night between Monday and Tuesday in connection with the arson.
In a statement accompanied by footage of the attack, an Islamic group claimed responsibility, identifying Antwerp as a key European city due to its economic role and strategic location, particularly in the diamond trade.
The group also referenced the city’s large Jewish population, describing it as having religious and cultural importance and referring to it as the “Jerusalem of the North.”
Antwerp’s main street, Meir, was among its intended targets, the group said, and warned that its operations would escalate and intensify until what it described as the liberation of “occupied” Palestinian lands.
It also said the attack was carried out in response to the deaths of Palestinians, Lebanese and other Muslims.
The incident followed a similar case in London a day earlier, in which four ambulances belonging to the Haredi emergency organization Hatzalah were set on fire in Golders Green.
Security patrols in Antwerp remained active overnight as authorities and community groups responded to the attack and monitored for additional threats.
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