Brussels Jewish Museum Reopens After Shooting Attack
by JNS.org
JNS.org – More than three months after the shooting attack at the Brussels Jewish Museum that left four people dead, including Israelis Mira and Emanuel Riva, the museum reopened its gates on Sunday morning.
The museum shut down after the attack, and some considered leaving it closed.
“We don’t want to serve the interests of extremists who want to muffle our culture,” said museum director Philip Blondin. “We wanted to reopen our doors as soon as possible, but it wasn’t [immediately] possible because the Belgian authorities had to do their work,” he said.
A memorial plaque bearing the names of the victims of the attack — the Rivas, a museum employee, and a volunteer — has been affixed to the entrance of the museum. As part of the increased security measures, two armed police officers will be stationed at the site, and security checks at the entrance will be more stringent.
Meanwhile, a Belgian court announced that the remand of shooting suspect Mehdi Nemmouche has been extended for another three months. It has also come to light that Nemmouche was planning a large-scale terrorist attack for Bastille Day in France motivated by his strong anti-Semitism.