10
Loading video...
By Toby Meyjes
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Police have declared a terrorist incident and a man has been arrested after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, in north London, police have confirmed.
The Metropolitan Police has said it arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after two men, one in his 70s and another in his 30s, were stabbed on Highfield Avenue in the suburb of England's capital.
Golders Green is home to a large Jewish population, and there have been a string of antisemitic incidents in recent weeks in which the community has been targeted. The victims were treated by the nonprofit organization Hatzola, whose ambulances were set on fire in the district last month. There is no official update on their condition.
Read More
The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish charity, said it recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents last year. This, the charity said, was the second-highest number of incidents in a single calendar year after 2023—when the war in Gaza began.
In a statement to Newsweek, the White House said antisemitism had "run rampant" in London.
Mark Rowley, the commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, said at a news conference that the man arrested over the attack had a history of serious violence and mental health issues.
He called the attack "another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities," adding that arresting officers were concerned the suspect "was carrying an explosive device."
Local neighborhood group Shomrim wrote on X that its volunteers had detained a man who was "armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public." One witness told the BBC that one stabbing took place on Golders Green Road outside shops and the other on a side road outside a synagogue.
The head of counterterrorism policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, has said the attack has formally been declared a terrorist incident.
He told reporters: "This has now formally been declared a terrorist incident. Our highly specialized teams of officers are working with the Metropolitan Police to progress this investigation quickly and establish exactly what has happened.
"We're also working with our partners in the security services to ensure we have a full intelligence picture, and one of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London."
...
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in the area, said in a statement that the suspect was in custody and investigators were "considering all possible motives."
Officials have not released additional identifying information about the suspect—who tried to stab police officers and was Tasered before his arrest—or the victims, who are both in the hospital and in a stable condition, the police said.
BBC News has confirmed two Jewish men were stabbed in the attack and are being treated for serious injuries.
The London Ambulance Service told the outlet that three patients were treated at the scene following the attack. The service said it took two to the hospital and that Hatzola took the third.
Footage verified by the BBC and shared on X by the Israeli Foreign Ministry appeared to show the moment of the stabbing. In the video, a man can be seen waiting near a bus stop when he is approached by another man who appears to attack him.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the stabbings "deeply concerning." Speaking in Parliament, he said an investigation was ongoing.
On X, London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the "appalling attack" and confirmed an arrest had been made.
"London's Jewish community have been the target of a series of shocking antisemitic attacks," he said. "There must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society. The Met have stepped up high visibility patrols in the area."
Sarah Sackman, the member of Parliament for the constituency where the attack took place, said in a statement provided to the BBC that she was meeting the home secretary "imminently" to discuss the incident.
"The attacks on British Jews are an attack on Britain itself. It is unconscionable that Jews are being targeted in this way," she said.
CST wrote on X: "There has been a knife attack today in Golders Green. The suspect has been arrested. We would like to thank @shomrimlondon, @Hatzola and @metpoliceuk for their swift response. We are working closely with the police and urge anyone with information to contact the police, Shomrim and CST immediately."
What Did the White House Say?
In a statement provided to Newsweek, Davis Ingle, White House spokesman said: “Unfortunately, Mayor Khan has done a terrible job as mayor and has let the scourge of anti-Semitism run rampant in his city due his ridiculous unchecked immigration and soft on crime policies, as evidenced by the uptick in terror attacks across London.”
Newsweek reached out to Khan's office by email for comment on Thursday morning.
Rising Antisemitism Fears in Britain
Jewish groups have warned of rising antisemitism in the U.K. since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza.
In October 2025, two people died and three were seriously injured after a terrorist attack was carried out on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, in the north of England.
Concerns over antisemitic attacks have surged in recent weeks. In March, four Jewish community ambulances were set alight in north London. Meanwhile, there have also been attempted arson attacks, including at a Jewish synagogue, in London.
In the United States, there were more than 9,300 cases of antisemitic incidents in 2024—the highest number since records began in 1979, according to the Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy organization that works to end antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad.
The U.S. Embassy in London recently warned Americans to "exercise increased caution" while visiting Jewish and American areas in the U.K.
It wrote in a security alert on April 24: "The U.S. Embassy in London notes recent attacks and threats targeting Jewish and American institutions in the United Kingdom and Europe. U.S. citizens, particularly those visiting institutions serving Jewish or American interests, should remain alert and exercise increased caution."
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines