Belgium - Anti-Semitic Attacks in 2008

This page is part of a section on "2008 List of Anti-Semitic Attacks" maintained by PaulaSays. This is only a partial list. If you know of an attack not reported on these pages, please send a note to .

• In September: A youth aged 17 was sitting on a bench in Place Saint Job in the town of Uccle. , talking .on his cell phone in Hebrew to his mother. Stephane, 32 years old, a customer at a café, approached the youth and called out at him: "Dirty Jew, son of a whore….." and punched the youth in his face and chest with his fists. The youth pushed the attacker away and they both fell down on the ground. The police were summoned and both were taken to hospital for medical attention. When interrogated, Stephan claimed that it was he who was attacked by the youth even though eye witnesses supported the youth's version of the story. In spite of the evidence from the witnesses, no charges were filed against the aggressor.
• On September 13, at about 22:00, close to the end of evening prayers, two men were loitering near the Belz synagogue on Immerseelsstraat with their two dogs. The two men were frightening children, which led to a battle of words that broke out between the men and the children. A man who heard the disturbance came out of the synagogue in order to speak to the two men and try and pacify the situation. Instead the incident grew worse. One of the attackers went home and returned with a golf club and began attacking the Jew. Two other Jews came to the help of their friend in distress but they, too, were beaten. In the meantime, the Police were called and arrested the two attackers. One of the victims received medical attention at the hospital because of the severity of the injury to his head. The brother of one the victim came to the area of the synagogue and spoke to the neighbors and families of the attackers in an attempt to calm down the situation. However, the neighbors attacked him and caught him by the throat. The Police were called once more to pacify the situation.
• On September 14, a young Jew was out of the bar "Velvet Lounge" in Antwerp towards his car. When he arrived at its parking space, he was accosted by five men of North African origin. They have uttered antisemitic insults and also physically attacked. The attackers fled without the victim was unable to identify them. The victim did not need medical aid, the police have not been called and no complaint has been filed.
• Also in September, two young men of North African origin, aged about 20, approached a young woman of 29 as she got out of her car. One of the men called out to the woman: "Is there a way we could meet? Can we have a drink together?" When she understood that he was making a pass at her, the young woman did not respond and went on her way. However, when he saw that she was wearing a necklace with a Star of David, he called her "dirty little Jewess”. He continued and called after her "little whore” and "fat whore" while his friend chuckled. After that, he approached her, touched her behind and pushed her as he harassed her. The young woman did not respond and continued hurriedly on her way asking to be left alone. When she returned to her car a few minutes later, she noticed a scratch all along the left side. The scratch had not been there before the incident and she knew that the two young men saw her get out of her car. She is convinced that they were responsible for the damage.
• In October, a large antisemitic tag "Joden aan het kamp" (The Jews at the camp) was discovered on a bathroom door in a building of the VUB (Vrije University Brussel), near the local computer.
• In October, a swastika and other antisemitic inscriptions were found on the walls of a villa for sale in the Brussels municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Although, the owners of the villa are not Jews, the fact remains that swastika and phrases such as "Sale Jew" in French and English were found on the exterior walls.
• In October, during a conversation with students Patrick Cocriamont, a parliamentarian from the Front National party denied that during the Second World War gas chambers existed. During the conversation he revealed that links exist between some FN militants and neo-Nazi organizations.
• In October, members of the Bnei Akiva Youth Movement went on a fun day to the Luna Park, BOBBEJAANLAND in Lichtaart . The youngsters were wearing yarmulkes. During the day a group of local youths passed nearby them and called out to them: "Jews, go back to the country you came from." Another young woman threw an empty beverage carton at the feet of one of the youngsters.
• In November, a group of Jewish students, some wearing the yarmulke, returned in Metro Mini-Europe (Heysel) to their hotel located near the Schuman roundabout in Brussels. In the subway, two young Arab-origin Muslim, came out of it and shouted in the direction of the group of Jews "Heil Hitler".
• In November, a far-right senator in Belgium was videotaped singing a song poking fun at the Holocaust was broadcast on national television. The Senate called the actions by National Front senator Michel Delacroix "beyond the pale," and began an investigation. The video showed him singing an insulting song about a Jewish girl perishing at the Dachau concentration camp. The Brussels prosecutor's office also opened an investigation and will consider whether or not to remove Delacroix's parliamentary immunity.
• In November, one of Brussels' mains streets, "La rue de la loi", shelters buildings with the United Nations offices as well as embassies and offices belonging to the European Union. Underneath one of the buildings belonging to the United-Nations offices, someone wrote: "ZION=FACHO".