Explosion hits pro-Israel Christian center in Netherlands amid rising antisemitic attacks across Europe

The Christian Israel Center in the Netherlands issued a statement a day after an explosion hit its office in the Dutch town of Nijkerk. 

“In the early hours of April 4, 2026, an explosive device went off at the Israel Center in Nijkerk, the Netherlands. We are thankful that the damage remained limited and that, given the late hour, no one was present in the building. A recently installed security fence around the premises also provided an added layer of protection,” the Israel Center stated.

The facility is the center of Christian pro-Israel activities and also houses the offices of the global organization Christians for Israel International, which has branches in over 40 countries. 

The organization noted that the timing of the attack during Passover and Easter affected both Christians and Jews. 

“This incident touches us deeply – not only as an organization, but also because of its profound timing. It occurred at a moment when both Jewish and Christian communities are observing their most sacred celebrations: Pesach, commemorating God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt, and Easter, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ – an event itself deeply rooted in the story of Passover.” 

The Israel Center further placed the attack within the context of growing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

“That an attack would take place at this shared moment of faith and remembrance makes it all the more significant,” the Christian Israel Center said. “It is also a stark reminder of the growing unease felt by Jewish communities in the Netherlands and around the world."

“We are seeing a troubling rise in threats and intimidation directed at the Jewish people, and moments like these call us back to our Biblical calling: to be a blessing to Israel and the Jewish people, and to stand with them faithfully in uncertain times. We continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for courage and wisdom for all those, wherever they may be, who are dedicated to the well-being of God’s people.”

Dutch Police announced after the attack that "Investigations revealed that a person dressed in black placed the explosive device."

Authorities have called on potential witnesses to assist in the effort to find the perpetrators behind the attack. 

There has recently been a growing number of attacks against Jews and Israel-affiliated institutions across Europe. Belgium recently decided to deploy military forces to protect Jewish institutions following rising antisemitic attacks in the country. 

“The safety of every citizen must be guaranteed,” Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken stated, emphasizing that “antisemitism and hatred against Jews will never be tolerated.”

“In a context of growing antisemitism, the attack that took place at the Liège synagogue reminded us that the threat facing Belgium’s Jewish community is very real,” Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said. 

Meanwhile, four Jewish community ambulances were recently torched outside a synagogue in the London neighborhood of Golders Green, which has a large Jewish population. British Police arrested two out of the three terrorist suspects who are reportedly of Pakistani Muslim origin. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the antisemitic attack in London. 

"My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news," Starmer wrote in a post on 𝕏. "Antisemitism has no place in our society."

However, many British Jews and non-Jews increasingly blame the British government for its unwillingness to properly combat the rising Jew-hatred in the country, which has been fueled by radical Muslims and far-left activists.