Dutch police apprehend fifth suspect for Rotterdam synagogue arson

AMSTERDAM, March 19 (Reuters) – Dutch police have arrested a fifth suspect over an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam last Friday, Dutch police said on Thursday.

“In the investigation into last week’s explosion at the synagogue … a 19-year-old man from Tilburg was arrested in his hometown today. His role is under investigation. This is the fifth suspect in this investigationb” police said on social media platform X.

Earlier this week, Justice Minister David van Weel said the possibility that Iran was involved in the attack was being investigated.

The four other suspects, aged 17 to 19, were apprehended shortly after the arson.

In the past week, several attacks have ​taken place in the Netherlands, including one on a Jewish school in Amsterdam. ‌There ⁠has also been an attack on a synagogue in Liege, in neighbouring Belgium.

The attacks, which caused no injuries, were all claimed on social media platform X by an extremist group, ​though police are ​still investigating ⁠whether the group was actually behind them.

The attacks have triggered heightened security at Jewish sites in the Netherlands.

Concerns ⁠about possible attacks ​against Jewish communities around the world ​have risen following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and the subsequent response ​from Tehran.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Alex Richardson)