Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist) has repeated his call for the army to be used to guard Jewish sites in his city. The call previously failed to get a hearing from the federal government that has now led the mayor to tell VRT: "I find it incomprehensible that the defence ministry has still not deployed soldiers."
Mr De Wever called for the deployment of the army to guard Jewish sites in Antwerp several weeks ago. After the Paris attacks in 2015 soldiers were deployed to provide surveillance in several places. In 2021, the military returned to barracks. According to Mr De Wever, it makes sense to call on the military once again.
"In France, that happened immediately. It is the most normal thing in the world. The federal police have no reserves, so they cannot send any extra officers to Antwerp. Military staff are available, but the government doesn't want to deploy them in Belgium. I don't understand that at all."
According to De Wever, there have already been several incidents in Antwerp following the war between Israel and Hamas. "Fortunately, so far they are no more than incidents, there's been harassment and vandalism directed against commercial businesses belonging to people who have nothing to do with that conflict but are being targeted. That is distressing."
Vigilance remains necessary, says the mayor: "My biggest concern is that there are demos that result in real violence that primarily targets the Jewish community. I don't think people who are pro-Palestine have to fear for their lives or of being attacked by terrorists today."
Importing conflict
"The concern of the Jewish community is getting a strong response. But on the other hand, of course, there are also many Antwerp citizens, who want to express their sympathy for ordinary Palestinians. And that should be possible too."
Mr De Wever says he is trying to channel the emotions in his city: "I try to let everyone who is of good will to enter into dialogue."
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Hasn't the mayor himself contributed to the polarisation surrounding the conflict by taking sides? "I have taken sides against terror and against Hamas. If people equate this as a choice against the Palestinians, then they really haven't listened properly to what I said. My speech was about victims of terror. If people conclude from that that I said Israel can do whatever it likes, then that is wrong."