Two Jewish people were attacked in a village near Ypres on Tuesday evening, Het Nieuwsblad reports. The two people were harassed by a group of young people and a scuffle broke out.
According to reports, a man and a woman, both Orthodox Jews, were accosted by young people and chased through the streets.
“A man and a woman of Jewish faith were dressed in orthodox Jewish clothing. They were walking and wanted to cross the street in front of the station,” one eyewitness said. One of the group of young people who began harassing them and tried to “hit them with a bag.”
Passersby tried to intervene to end the struggle. Police later arrived on the scene. Police confirmed that the incident had indeed taken place and an investigation to establish the circumstances behind the incident is underway.
As a consequence of the Israel-Hamas violence, Jewish schools and faith centres are on high alert over fears of hate-crime incidents. In Antwerp’s iconic Jewish Quarter, police have heightened security.
