London police have declared the stabbing of two Jewish men in the Golders Green area an act of terrorism. The attack occurred on Wednesday, leaving a 34-year-old and a 76-year-old man hospitalised with knife wounds. A 45-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Police Response and Investigation
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that counterterrorism officers are investigating whether the stabbings are linked to recent arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in the capital. Police chief Mark Rowley described the incident as "another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities."
Rowley faced hostile reactions from bystanders at the scene, with shouts of "shame on you" and "resign" directed at him. The security organisation Shomrim reported that the suspect was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife, attempting to stab Jewish members of the public. Shomrim members detained the suspect before police arrested him, using a stun gun.
Political Condemnation
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, stating that "attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain." He convened a meeting of the government's emergency committee to discuss the response. London Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasised that "there must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society."
Suspect Profile and Broader Context
Rowley disclosed that the suspect, whose name has not been released, has "a history of serious violence and mental health issues." The suspect also attempted to stab police officers, though none were injured. Surveillance footage captured a man donning a kippah at a bus stop before being lunged at by a passerby with a knife.
Recent weeks have seen arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in London, including a charity's ambulances in Golders Green and a synagogue nearby. No injuries were reported in those incidents, and several suspects have been arrested. Counterterror officers are investigating whether these attacks were orchestrated by Iranian proxies. The UK has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil, and MI5 has reported disrupting over 20 "potentially lethal" Iran-backed plots in the year ending in October.
Community Reaction and Rising Antisemitism
Golders Green resident Moishe Grunfeld expressed shock, saying, "It happens in Israel, but happening on our own doorstep, of course it’s shocking. I have kids, I have grandchildren." Britain's Jewish community, numbering about 300,000, is long-established but tiny as a percentage of the population. Golders Green is a hub for Jewish life, with kosher restaurants, Jewish schools, and dozens of synagogues.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis called for meaningful action, stating, "This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country. This is a hatred that we must face down together." Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged the world to "wake up" to rising anti-Jewish hatred, noting that "in one of the great capital cities of the West, it has become dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew."
The Community Security Trust reported a surge in antisemitic incidents across the UK since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022. In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death; another person died after being inadvertently shot by police.
