Belgium plans to end army protection for Antwerp synagogues – Expected move related to budget shortfalls caused by coronavirus pandemic; Jewish community says it needs ‘more, not less protection’ | Timesofisrael

JTA — Belgium is planning to stop providing soldiers for security around synagogues in Antwerp.
The plan, which has not been finalized, would end the army’s protection in the city’s Jewish neighborhood in September. The redeployment is connected to budgetary and manpower shortfalls in Belgium, where COVID-19 has severely impacted the economy and claimed more than 9,000 lives.