A bombing attempt at a Jewish community center in Cape Town has put South African law enforcement on high alert as antisemitic threats continue to surge globally post-Oct. 7, when Hamas launched its devastating massacre against Israel.
According to Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies executive director Daniel Bloch, an “improvised explosive device” was thrown over the facility’s front wall on Friday but thankfully failed to detonate.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed that both the South African Police Service (SAPS) and South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, are analyzing CCTV footage to find the perpetrator.
“Cape Town is a city of peace-loving people, where differences of faith and opinion are expressed loudly and fully, but always peacefully. Our city has a long and proud history of being a safe city for people of all religions to live and express their faith and traditions. Let us all commit ourselves to protecting and defending the best of that history,” said Hill-Lewis.
“Should the SAPS investigation confirm this was an attempted attack on the Jewish Community Centre, I know I would speak for all Capetonians in condemning such an attempt.”
While authorities have not released specific details about the device, JP Smith, who oversees Safety and Security for Cape Town, is providing technical support through their advanced security infrastructure and automatic number plate recognition technology to aid in the investigation.
