The UK suspect accused of stabbing two Jewish men had previously been flagged by the counter-terrorism programme
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The British government on Thursday said the country was facing a “state of emergency” and pledged funding to strengthen security in Jewish communities, but also faced heavy criticism after a series of attacks and two stabbings on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was mobbed by around 100 protesters holding signs reading “Keir Starmer, Jew Harmer” on Thursday when he visited Golders Green, where two men aged 34 and 76 were stabbed, leaving both in a stable condition in hospital.
Golders Green in north London is the center of Britain’s Jewish community, numbering around 300,000.
Police arrested a 45-year-old man for attempted murder and called the attack an act of terrorism. Investigators are working to determine a motive and whether there is a link to Iranian proxies.
The name of the stabbing suspect has not been released but he had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues,” according to police. There are reports that the suspect was involved in an “argument” in the area hours before the Golders Green attack.
Police said in 2020 he was transferred to the government’s Prevent program, which tries to steer people away from extremism. The police force said his file was closed later that year, but did not disclose the reason for his transfer.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said anti-Semitism was being treated as an “emergency,” describing it as “the most difficult security issue” she faced.
Police are investigating the group’s claim
The British Jewish community has faced increasing attacks online and on the streets since the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by groups led by Hamas and Israeli military campaigns in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
“People are really worried, people are afraid, people are not free to walk on the street, people are suspicious, it’s clear that the government is not doing anything about what is happening,” Shilome Rand, one of the men who was stabbed on Wednesday, told ITV News.
London’s Metropolitan Police have called the stabbing of two Jewish men in a bar in the Golders Green suburb an act of terrorism. A 45-year-old man, who is also accused of trying to stab the police, has been arrested for attempted murder.
Last October, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died when he was attacked after being shot by the police.
Since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, there have been a series of attacks on synagogues and other Jewish places in London, as well as on opponents of the Iranian government.
The police said that 28 people have been arrested because of these attacks, which did not cause any harm. Several were charged and one teenager was convicted after pleading guilty.
An online group claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbing under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Mahmood said authorities are investigating whether the claim is credible or “opportunistic.”
This same group, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, claimed some of the incidents of burning. But security experts have warned that the name could be a flag of convenience rather than a coalition, and its claims should be treated with caution.
The UK has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to carry out attacks on European soil against Iranian opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, says more than 20 “potentially dangerous” Iranian-sponsored programs were disrupted in the year ending in October.
Metropolitan Police Chief Mark Rowley said on Wednesday “we know that some people are encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organizations and hostile states.”
Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, promised Thursday that the attack would bring a “swift and visible” response to the crime and said ending hate is “everyone’s fight in this country.” His government announced 25 million pounds ($46 million) for policing and security at synagogues, schools and community centers.
