Around 2,000 people rallied Sunday evening in front of the Jewish Museum in Brussels where a gunman killed four people, including two Israelis, a French woman and a Belgian employee, in the worst anti-Semitic attack in several years in Belgium.
‘’We are here to honor the memory of the victims of this horrible crime and show our solidarity with the families,’’ said Maurice Sosnowski, President of CCOJB, the umbrella group of Belgian Jewish organizations. ‘’We have to say it clearly that this is a anti-Semitic attack,’’ he stressed in a short speech, speaking of situation of ‘’crisis.’’
He called on the Belgian authorities to find the author of the shooting and said he had confidence that the country would assure the safety of the Jewish community ‘’so that Jews here can continue to live a normal life.’’
Dozens of participants lit memorial candles at the entrance of the museum’s door where the victims were hit by the gunman.
Several members of the Belgian government attended the rally in central Brussels, including Prime Ministe Elio Di Rupo, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders and Interior Minister Joelle Milquet, but also the Mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur, accompanied by the complete city council. Among the attendees was also Leila Shahid, the representative of the Palestinian Authority to the European Union.
Israel's and France's ambassadors to Belgium joined to light candles in memory of the victims.
After Rabbi Albert Guigui of the Great Synagogue of Brussels recited Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, a minute of silence was observed by the assistance which then started to sing Israel and Belgium’s national anthems. The rally ended with a choir of young American Jews singing Israeli songs.
Belgian authorities are still hunting the suspect, believed to have acted alone. As investigators hope the public will help to identify the suspect, Belgian police released images from the Jewish Museum of Belgium showing the gunman behind Saturday's deadly attack approaching the building, opening fire, and walking away.
He used an AK-47 assault rifle to carry out the shooting.
The shooter left the site on foot after the attack and headed toward a different part of downtown Brussels before he disappeared, according to police.
Belgium's Interior Ministry has raised its terror alert level in the wake of the attack.
Belgian Interior Minister Joelle Milquet told a press conference that the security threat level was at its highest at locations frequented by the Jewish community across the country. This measure is precautionary, she added.
On Sunday, Milquet met with the police, Belgian Jewish community leaders and the president of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, to discuss the security arrangements.
The Jewish community is determined to continue its activities in schools, synagogues and cultural centers, but under heightened security with a permanent police presence atement said.
Kantor also held urgent talks with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.