Outrage in Belgium Over Withdrawal of Federal Police Patrols from Antwerp’s Jewish Quarter

A decision by Belgium’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin to end federal police patrols in Antwerp’s Jewish neighborhood has sparked backlash among Jewish community leaders and local officials.

The move ends a deployment of federal officers that had been in place for more than a decade, with the Interior Ministry saying responsibility for security will shift to local police, while stressing that the protection of Jewish sites remains a priority. Antwerp Mayor Els Van Doesburg criticized the decision, warning that local police cannot provide the same level of protection and calling on the federal government to reverse course.