In what is believed to have been the first antisemitic attack in North Macedonia since World War II, the country’s only synagogue, in the capital city of Skopje, was targeted in an attempted arson attack Sunday, authorities said.
Photos from the Beth Yaakov Synagogue shared on social media show the synagogue’s door and courtyard charred by fire.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed two suspects climbing a fence, pouring fuel, and throwing a firebomb before fleeing. Police found a fuel canister at the scene, but have yet to identify suspects in the case.
The attack was quickly condemned by national figures and the Jewish community.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timco Mucunski said on X that the attack was “utterly unacceptable and strongly condemned.”
“This incident reflects the continued vulnerability of Jewish sites in Europe, where places of worship and community life remain at risk,” the European Jewish Congress added. “Such acts seek to intimidate and disrupt Jewish presence.”
The Beth Yaakov Synagogue in Skopje, consecrated in 2000, is the only functioning Jewish house of worship in the Baltic country.
