Explosion hits Israel Center in Nijkerk following series of attacks on Jewish sites
An explosion struck an Israeli center in Nijkerk late Friday night, police reported. No one was injured. Authorities are investigating amid a series of recent explosions involving Jewish-related sites.
“Around 11:30 p.m., we received a report of an explosion on Henri Nouwenstraat in Nijkerk. No one was injured. The damage appears limited for now. We are, of course, continuing our investigation,” police said. Police cordoned off the area and are asking witnesses to come forward.
The building houses the organization Christenen voor Israël, which describes the site as “a meeting place for Christians with a heart for Israel.”
The location has previously been the site of protests against Israeli actions in the Middle East. Last year, four demonstrators were convicted of vandalizing the center.
Pro-Palestinian protests were also held this past spring at events organized by Christenen voor Israël in Barneveld and Katwijk. Those demonstrations turned aggressive, with objects thrown and one person injured at each protest.
The explosion follows multiple incidents in March involving Jewish-related locations in the Netherlands. An attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam is being treated as terrorism by prosecutors, and four men have been arrested. Explosives were also placed at a Jewish school and at the Bank of New York Mellon in Amsterdam.
