Belgian security forces cordoned off the Grand Synagogue in central Brussels after a bomb threat was received, local media report.
The central Rue de la Régence was shut to traffic shortly after 6 a.m. this morning, the Brussels Times reports.
Security forces confirmed that the synagogue was targeted, and established a security perimeter and diverted traffic in both directions between Sablon and Place Poelaert, according to the report.
The chief rabbi of Brussels, Albert Guigui, said police asked him not to go to the synagogue in the morning while they investigated. He said he was optimistic the house of worship would reopen later in the day.
Antisemitic activity has risen in Belgium since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023. About 20,000 Jews live in Brussels, out of some 40,000 living in Belgium today.
