March 13, 2026 The door was badly damaged. Photo: Media TV/ANP
Rotterdam police have arrested four teenagers from Tilburg in connection with the fire at a synagogue in Rotterdam in the early hours of Friday morning.
They were arrested in a car close to another synagogue in the port city, broadcaster NOS said.
The fire at the A B N Davidsplein in Rotterdam-Blijkdorp started at 3.45 am and burned itself out quickly. According to regional broadcaster Rijnmond, images circulating on social media show a burning object at the entrance of the synagogue, which then explodes.
Rotterdam mayor Carola Schouten said the incident had caused “fear in the Jewish population” and that security around synagogues remained a priority.
The chairman of the synagogue, Chris den Hoedt told the broadcaster that the attack was a “direct assault on the Dutch religious community”. The damage itself was not serious but the emotional impact is worse, he said.
“This is what we have been seeing for two years, increasing antisemitism,” he said. “And little is being done to stop it.”
Anti-Semitism Arson Rotterdam
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