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An explosive device detonated outside the gate of a pro-Israel Christian institution in the central Dutch city of Nijkerk late Friday night, an incident authorities are investigating as a targeted attack.
The blast struck the “Israel Center,” operated by Christians for Israel, causing minor damage but no injuries.
Dutch police said a suspect dressed in black placed the device. No one was inside the building at the time of the explosion. Authorities are appealing for witnesses, and investigators have made no arrests.
Christians for Israel said it was “shocked” by the attack and warned that it reflects a broader pattern of incidents targeting Jewish and pro-Israel institutions.
“The damage was limited, but the impact is significant,” the organization stated. “The fact that this took place on the eve of Easter, the most important celebration for Christians, makes it all the more poignant.”
The center hosts exhibitions, lectures, and educational programming focused on Israel. It has long served as a hub for Christian engagement with and support for the Jewish state. Its targeting now signals a widening scope of hostility that extends beyond Jewish institutions themselves.
Israel’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Zvi Aviner Vapni drew a direct link between recent attacks and a broader escalation, stating: “First Jews were intimidated and attacked in the Netherlands, now Christians who support Israel are being targeted too.”
First Jews were intimidated and attacked in the Netherlands. Now Christians who support Israel are being targeted too. This explosion at the Christenen voor Israël center in Nijkerk is not an isolated incident: these criminals must be captured and…
— Amb. Zvi A. Vapni (@vapni) April 4, 2026
Escalation Intensifies Across Europe
In recent days, that escalation has become visible on the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, home to the largest Jewish community in the Netherlands. On March 30, demonstrators chanted “From the Netherlands to Palestine,” expanding a slogan tied to the elimination of Israel into a direct call targeting Jews across Europe.
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, March 30: Another escalation in blatant calls for violence.
What was once chanted as “From the river to the sea” has now expanded to “From the Netherlands to Palestine.”
The message is clear: a call to target Jews across Europe and up to Israel. This goes far… pic.twitter.com/XjHEJtuTyK
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) April 1, 2026
The following day, individuals dressed as Hamas terrorists marched openly through the city, carrying banners promoting Hamas propaganda and calling for violence against Jews.
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, March 31: Individuals dressed as Hamas militants marched openly through the city, carrying banners promoting Hamas propaganda and calling for violence against Jews.
In broad daylight.
We’ve warned for years that normalization leads to this. Now it’s no longer a… pic.twitter.com/pkXEQG9S9M
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) March 31, 2026
Meanwhile, similar attacks have unfolded across Europe in recent weeks. Explosions targeted a synagogue in Liège, a Jewish school in Amsterdam, and a synagogue in Rotterdam. In London, perpetrators set fire to Jewish emergency vehicles. Some of these incidents have reportedly been claimed by Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (“The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right”), a shadowy group believed to be linked to Iranian-backed networks.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) warned Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema on Sunday that extremist rhetoric was moving into the public sphere, with demonstrators openly invoking language and imagery that call for violence against Jews.
The explosion in Nijkerk now underscores that trajectory. What begins as slogans and symbols quickly advances into intimidation, targeting, and violence — reaching not only Jewish institutions, but also those who stand with the Jewish people.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
