The British government on Thursday said the country was facing an antisemitism “emergency” and pledged funding to increase security for Jewish communities, but also faced heavy criticism after a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was heckled by about 100 protesters holdings signs saying “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” on Thursday when he visited Golders Green, the site of a serious stabbing attack that injured two men aged 34 and 76, leaving both in hospital in stable condition.
Golders Green in north London is an epicentre of Britain’s Jewish community, which numbers about 300,000 people.
Police have arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and labelled the attack as an act of terrorism. Detectives are working to determine a motive and whether there is any link to Iranian proxies.
The stabbing suspect’s name has not been released but he had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues,” according to police. There were reports the suspect was involved in an “altercation” in the area hours before the Golders Green attack.
Police said that in 2020 he was referred to the government’s Prevent program, which tries to steer individuals away from extremism. The police force said his file was closed later that year, but did not disclose the reason for the referral.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she is treating antisemitism as “an emergency,” describing it as “the top pressing issue in relation to security” she faced.
Police probing group’s claim of responsibility
Britain’s Jewish community has faced growing attacks online and in the streets since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas-led militant groups and Israel’s resulting military campaigns in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
“People are really concerned, people are afraid, people are uncomfortable walking in the street, people are blaming, obviously, the government for not doing anything about what’s going on,” Shilome Rand, one of the men stabbed on Wednesday, told ITV News.
WATCH | Attacks were minutes apart:
London’s Metropolitan Police called the daylight stabbing of two Jewish men in the suburb of Golders Green an act of terrorism. A 45-year-old man, also accused of trying to stab police officers, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Last October, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed one person. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.
Since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, there have been a string of arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in London, as well as on opponents of the Iranian government.
Police say 28 people have been arrested as a result of those attacks, which did not cause any injuries. A handful have been charged and one teenager has been convicted after pleading guilty.
An online group claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbing under the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Mahmood said authorities were investigating whether that claim is credible or “opportunistic.”
The same group, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, claimed some of the arson attacks. But security experts have warned that the name may be a flag of convenience rather than a coherent group, and its claims should be treated with caution.
The U.K. has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting Iranian opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, says more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year ending in October.
Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley said Wednesday that “we know that some individuals are being encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organizations and hostile states.”
Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, pledged Thursday that the attacks would bring a “swift and visible” criminal justice response and said stamping out antisemitism was “the fight of everyone in this country.” His government announced 25 million pounds ($46 million Cdn) for more police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centers.
