Fourth Arson Attempt on London Synagogue in Under a Month Sparks Fear
Another attempted arson attack has been reported at a synagogue in north-west London, marking the fourth such incident targeting Jewish property in the area in less than a month. The latest event occurred at the Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow on Saturday night, causing minor smoke damage to an internal room but no injuries or significant structural damage, according to the Community Security Trust (CST).
Police Response and Scene Details
Police officers were seen patrolling a large cordon near the synagogue, with a forensics officer, fire investigation dogs, and several plainclothes officers working at the scene. One marked and about five unmarked police cars were stationed outside the place of worship, which is close to a school and children’s playground. Authorities were also observed searching a black SUV nearby on Sunday morning.
This incident comes hours after the Metropolitan Police deployed extra resources to parts of north-west London, treating an attempted arson on Friday night as an antisemitic hate crime. Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation into that incident in Hendon, Barnet, as well as probes into other attacks due to similar circumstances and online claims of responsibility.
Recent Spate of Attacks
The spate of attacks includes:
- An attempted arson in Hendon on Friday night, where a man approached a row of shops with a plastic bag containing three bottles of fluid, lit the items, and fled when they failed to fully ignite, causing minor damage to the former Jewish Futures building.
- An incident on Wednesday, where bottles, one thought to contain petrol, were placed near Finchley Reform Synagogue in Fallow Court Avenue, Finchley, with two people in dark clothing and balaclavas seen approaching just after midnight, but no ignition or damage occurred.
- Four Jewish community ambulances torched in Golders Green in the early hours of March 23.
In response, armed response vehicles, Counter Terrorism Policing resources, and police motorbikes were deployed to Barnet after the Hendon attack, with a significantly increased number of uniformed and plainclothes officers visible through the weekend. Extra stop and search powers were also granted across the borough.
Community and Official Reactions
A spokesperson for the CST, the charity monitoring antisemitism and providing protection for Jewish communities in the UK, stated: We are aware of another attempted arson, this time targeting a synagogue in north London, following similar recent incidents targeting the Jewish community in Finchley, Golders Green and Hendon. We want to thank the Met Police and London Fire Brigade for responding quickly and for all they are doing to protect the Jewish community during this unprecedented period. The CST is supporting the affected location and working closely with police investigations.
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism added that this is now terrifyingly becoming a spate of daily arson attacks on the Jewish community, highlighting growing concerns over safety and security in the area.
