Police are treating the stabbing of two men in Golders Green, north London, as a terrorist incident, with the suspect reportedly hunting for anyone “visibly Jewish” to attack. The attacks occurred just after 11am on Wednesday, following a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in London since March, including two previous incidents in Golders Green.
The victims, aged 76 and 34, are said to be in a stable condition in hospital. A 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder after being subdued with a stun gun. The chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, named the victims as Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila, urging prayers via social media.
Investigation and Claims of Responsibility
British counter-terrorism officials are studying a claim of responsibility by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), a group linked to Iran. The group has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks across Europe since March, mainly targeting Jewish communities. The investigation is at an early stage, with the suspect’s electronic devices being examined. He has a history of mental health issues, drug use, and convictions for violence.
Counter-terrorism officials are trying to determine which ideology may have triggered the attack. Both an Iran-linked group and Islamic State have supported violence against Jews.
Sequence of Events
The attack began shortly after 11am, when the suspect was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife, stabbing his first victim at 11.15am. The second victim was attacked 10 minutes later. Video footage showed the suspect pursuing other people who managed to escape. One video captured the suspect lunging towards the 76-year-old man at a bus stop, who was wearing a kippah, repeatedly swinging the knife at his upper body while passersby rushed to help.
Another video shows the arrest, with the suspect walking down a sidestreet towards two Met officers and a Shomrim volunteer. An officer used Pava spray and a Taser to subdue him. The suspect fell to the ground, and officers kicked him in the head while shouting “drop the knife.” At least one member of the public assisted the officers. The Met confirmed the suspect tried to stab officers but they were unhurt. He has a previous conviction for attacking police officers.
Prior Incident
Counter-terrorism police later searched an address in south-east London after reports of a prior “altercation” involving the suspect on the same day. The Met said they were called at about 8.50am to an incident in Great Dover Street, Southwark, where the suspect, armed with a knife, had an altercation with an occupant before leaving. The occupant suffered minor injuries. Officers searched the area but did not locate the suspect at that time.
Political Reactions
The attacks occurred close to a memorial wall where an attempted arson took place on Monday, and near where four Jewish community ambulances were destroyed by fire in March, suspected to be carried out by criminal proxies hired by Iran. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “utterly appalling” and chaired a meeting of the Cobra crisis committee. He promised action, including a meeting with criminal justice agencies to ensure swift justice.
Israel’s foreign ministry criticised the UK government, stating that Starmer’s statements are no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism. They noted that British Jews should not need security patrols to live openly as Jews.
The Met commissioner, Mark Rowley, denounced antisemitism but faced chants of “shame on you” from a small group at the scene. He acknowledged that Jewish communities are understandably angry due to too many attacks.
Community Response
Ben Grossnass of Shomrim Northwest Community Patrol said they received a call about a man running around with a knife stabbing people. Volunteers followed the attacker and helped apprehend him with police. He noted that the attacker was trying to attack anyone visibly Jewish. Steven Bak of the same organisation said attacks have increased in the past few years, stretching their volunteers, and called for further government assistance.
The Community Security Trust described the series of violent attacks as unprecedented and unacceptable, urging all parts of society to combat it. Chief Rabbi Mirvis said words of condemnation are no longer sufficient, demanding meaningful action from every institution and leader.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the victims are in the Prince and Princess of Wales’ thoughts and they are following the situation closely.
