The country's defence minister said safety is a 'basic right'.

16:32, Wed, Mar 25, 2026 Updated: 17:56, Wed, Mar 25, 2026

City of Brussels by twilight

Brussels is one of the cities where the soldiers have been deployed (Image: Getty)

Soldiers have been deployed onto the streets across Belgium to protect Jewish communities. The deployment started on Monday evening and comes after an explosion at a synagogue in Liège earlier this month, which authorities called an “act of antisemitism”.

Around 200 soldiers have been assigned to guard Jewish schools, synagogues, the Jewish Museum, and the Israeli Embassy, according to reports. The deployment, in collaboration with federal police, is expected to last three months. In a post on X, Belgian defence minister Theo Francken said safety is a “basic right”.

Aerial View of Liege, Belgium Skyline in early Autumn

Soldiers are also being deployed to protect Jewish communities in Liège (Image: Getty)

Speaking at the Great Synagogue of Europe in Brussels as part of a media event for the deployment, Mr Francken said the soldiers are not replacing any resources and are “in addition” to police officers.

He told POLITICO: “The police force remains the first responder … and has the responsibility for the public domain in Belgium. But we have to do more because there are threats to the Jewish community.”

When asked by the outlet whether he feared future attacks could cause casualties, interior minister Bernard Quintin said: “I don’t want to wait for that moment. That’s why we are taking these measures.”

Nobody was injured or killed in the explosion at the synagogue in Liège on March 9.

There have also been attacks on the Jewish community in the neighbouring Netherlands.

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The Belgian defence ministry earlier said the soldiers would first be deployed in Brussels and Antwerp, then in Liège, Reuters reported.