Police security provided by the federal police in the Jewish quarter of Antwerp will be discontinued after January 1, according to a decision by the Belgian government, as reported by the Belgian news site VRT NWS. 

Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg described the decision as “incomprehensible” during an appearance on a talk show, while Interior Minister Bernard Quintin confirmed the move but stressed that securing Jewish sites remains a “top priority.”

The decision concerns 16 federal police officers who have been assisting in protecting the quarter, accounting for half of the force assigned to this mission, which has been carried out on a 50–50 basis between the federal and local police.