The synagogue of the Jewish community in Rotterdam was set on fire early this morning.
The fire broke out around 3:40 a.m. The incident caused no injuries, and the flames extinguished on their own shortly afterward.
The Dutch police posted on X, confirming that no one was harmed and asking any witnesses to provide relevant information.
A video circulated on social media in which a group calling itself "Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia" claims responsibility for the arson.
The footage shows the entrance to the synagogue engulfed in flames. Analysis of the video raises suspicions that it is the same group that claimed responsibility for a similar attack on a synagogue in Liège, Belgium, earlier this week, where an explosive device detonated on Monday at 3:38 a.m.
The striking similarities between the two incidents-both in timing and in the graphic and musical elements of the video-strengthen the assessment that the same people are involved.
Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten reacted sharply to the event, telling the Dutch news agency ANP, “There is no place in Rotterdam for antisemitism, intimidation, violence, or hatred toward religious communities." She added that the incident caused significant distress among the city’s Jewish residents.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar criticized the Netherlands over the incident, stating: “A synagogue in Rotterdam was attacked yesterday. Yet the Netherlands chose to intervene in South Africa’s fabricated case against the State of Israel. Shameful."