Dutch authorities have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of planning an attack on a synagogue in Heemstede, near Haarlem, Netherlands, according to local media outlet DutchNews.
The suspect allegedly planned either a bombing or arson attack targeting the synagogue, Dutch authorities said.
Dutch prosecutors said the man was detained on June 9 on suspicion of helping prepare an attack on the synagogue and alleged that he acted alongside others with a terrorist motive. An Amsterdam court later ordered that he remain in custody for an additional 14 days as the investigation continues.
Investigators said the synagogue, located near Adriaan Pauwlaan in Heemstede, had been identified as the intended target and that police intervention prevented the alleged attack from being carried out.
Additional arrests linked to synagogue plot
Authorities believe the suspect is connected to a broader investigation surrounding the alleged attack.
Dutch police previously arrested two boys, aged 14 and 17, near the synagogue on the night of March 19-20 after officers discovered powerful fireworks in the area. An 18-year-old from Amsterdam was arrested roughly a week later as part of the same investigation.
Attack ‘chilling reminder’ of antisemitic threat
World Zionist Organization chairman Yaakov Hagoel described the foiled attack as "a chilling reminder of the growing antisemitic threat."
"I call on the Dutch government to prosecute the terrorist and all his accomplices to the fullest extent of the law. The time has come for an iron fist and zero tolerance toward terrorism," Hagoel said.
"Every Jew has the full right to live, travel, and pray in safety and with pride anywhere in the world. We will not accept any attempt to intimidate us," he added.
Hagoel said the attempted attack joins a series of assaults on Jewish sites in the Netherlands in recent months, including the Rotterdam synagogue arson attack, explosions outside a Jewish school, and other antisemitic incidents.
Series of attacks on Jewish sites
The case comes amid a string of incidents targeting Jewish institutions in the Netherlands in recent months.
Among them was a late-night arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam, as well as explosions outside a Jewish school and an office complex in Amsterdam.
Four young men have admitted carrying out the Rotterdam attack, though they reportedly told a court they were unaware the building was a synagogue. Dutch prosecutors have argued that the incident was a deliberate act of terrorism.