Belgian Jews anxious: alert level raised

A deadly attack took place today (Saturday), at the Jewish Museum adjacent to the Great Synagogue of Brussels. A state of emergency was declared due to the incident, and security was intensified around Jewish institutions and Israeli Belgium.

An armed man opened fire at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, adjacent to the Great Synagogue of Brussels. Two women and a man were killed, one man was seriously injured and 12 slightly injured.

Belgian Jewish community officials expressed shock due to the brutal attack. President of the Jewish community in Belgium said that it had no warnings about the intention to harm at the museum. However, in recent times Jewish organizations in Belgium warn against an increase of anti-Semitism.

Belgian Prime Minister Elio de Rupo said: "Belgium is united against the brutal attack on the Jewish cultural center." He pledged to "make all efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for this tragedy."

Interior Minister of Belgium, Joel Mielke, who was in the area of the attack, told the newspaper "La Libre Belgique": "All evidence suggests that this is an anti-Semitic attack."

Mayor of Brussels called the incident a terrorist act and hinted at a connection between the location and the background: "The fact that fire had been opened at the Jewish Museum is no coincidence."

Belgian Prime Minister, Elio de Rupo, piped on Twitter that he was "shocked" at the incidence, and so too Foreign Minister Didier Render, who was close to the museum during the shooting. Interior Minister Joel Mielke, who was also in the area, said that "everything indicates that this is an anti-Semitic attack."

According to media reports in Belgium, at around 15:50 local time, a man walked out of an Audi vehicle, carrying a backpack, opened fire at the museum entrance killing at least two women and a man, and then got into the car and fled. According to various reports, the shooting took place inside the museum.

Photo: BBC
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Belgian journalist at the scene said the car was identified after the firing by eyewitnesses who wrote down its license plate number, after which there was a chase. "I heard at least six shots, then there was quiet and firing again," said an eyewitness to the RTL television station, adding that "the whole neighborhood was under curfew." The suspect was arrested, police are chasing another suspect.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!