A Haredi family from Belgium vacationing in Koksijde, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Antwerp, encountered antisemitic behavior over the weekend. The father of the family told the ultra-Orthodox news site in Israel, B’Hadrei Haredim, that the owner of their rental apartment showed up during their Shabbat meal after a neighbor reported a “suspicious gathering.”
The incident began when the father invited several friends to join for prayer and the Friday night meal at the rental home. Neighbors complained to the landlord that a “party” was taking place in what was supposed to be a quiet vacation property. “When the owner came, I explained that it was just a half-hour gathering,” the father said.
The following morning, he added, “I don’t know who complained, but it must have been neighbors. The owner said I was holding a ‘gathering.’ I told her it was just eight people. Later, on Saturday night, I hosted another prayer quorum since I had invited them before Shabbat and couldn’t cancel.”
On Sunday morning, the landlord sent the family an email demanding they leave the property. Neighbors had also photographed the family—including the children—on private grounds and shared the pictures in a WhatsApp group that included the owner.
“I told the landlord that if anyone photographs us again, I’ll call the police—and since then, it’s been quiet,” the father said.
This is not the first such incident in the area. Just last week, two other Haredi families from Belgium who rented apartments near Koksijde Beach were asked to send ID before arrival. When the landlord realized they were Jewish, she canceled their bookings and returned the deposits, without citing religion as the reason.
A family member said: “She saw our pictures, realized we were Haredi, and simply canceled.”
