U.K. calls antisemitism an emergency, police probe stabbing attack : NPR

Members of the community watch as forensic police search the area after two people were stabbed in the Golders Green area, home to a large Jewish community, in London on Wednesday.

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Kin Cheung/AP

LONDON — The British government said Thursday the country faces an anti-Semitism emergency and pledged to boost security in Jewish communities after a series of arsons and double stabbings sparked fear and anger among Jews.

The official terror threat level for the country was raised from substantial to serious after Wednesday’s stabbing in London, which police described as an act of terrorism. Severe is the second highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack very likely within the next six months.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government “will do everything in its power to stamp out this hatred” after two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, were seriously injured in a knife attack in Golders Green, a north London neighborhood that is the epicenter of Britain’s Jewish community. Both men are in stable condition.

But some members of the community have turned their anger on the government, which they say is failing to combat anti-Semitism. Starmer was heckled by around 100 protesters holding placards saying “Keir Starmer, Jew Killer” during his visit to Golders Green on Thursday.

The Prime Minister responded: “I fully understand the high levels of anxiety and concern that exist.”

“Anti-Semitism is a very old hatred. History shows that the roots go deep, and if you turn away from it, it grows back,” he said in a televised statement at 10 Downing St. “Yet far too many people in this country downplay it.”

Police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and described the stabbing attack as an act of terrorism. Detectives are working to determine the motive and whether there is a connection to Iranian proxies.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues,” police said. In 2020, he was referred to the government’s Prevent program, which attempts to steer people away from extremism. Police said his case was closed later that year and did not reveal the reason for the dismissal.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (centre), Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley (right) and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (2nd left) speak to members of the Jewish community during a visit to Golders Green, northwest London, on Thursday, following an attack on Wednesday in which two men were stabbed.

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Stabbings follow arson

Britain’s Jewish community, numbering around 300,000, faces growing attacks online and in the streets.

The number of anti-Semitic incidents reported across the UK has soared since the attack by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the charity Community Security Trust.

In October, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed one man. Another man died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.

Since the start of the war in Iran on February 28, there have been a series of arsons against synagogues and other Jewish sites in London as well as against opponents of the Iranian government.

Police say 28 people were arrested following the attacks, which caused no injuries. A handful were charged and one teenager was found guilty after pleading guilty.

Police investigating potential link to Iranian proxies

Several arsons have been claimed online in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. The Israeli government has described the group, whose name stands for Right-wing Companions Islamic Movement, as a recently founded group with alleged ties to “an Iranian proxy” and which has also claimed responsibility for attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands.

An online article under the same name also claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbing attack. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said authorities were investigating whether the claim was credible or “opportunistic.”

Security experts have warned that the name could be a flag of convenience rather than a cohesive group, and that its claims should be treated with caution.

The United Kingdom has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to carry out attacks on European soil targeting Iranian opposition media and the Jewish community. Britain’s domestic intelligence service MI5 says more than 20 “potentially deadly” Iranian-backed plots were foiled in the year ending in October.

The government said the increased threat level was not only a result of the Golders Green attack, but also the increased danger “from the Islamist and far-right terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK”.

The threat level remained high for most of the time between 2014 and February 2022, before being lowered to substantial.

Government under pressure to fight anti-Semitism

Starmer promised the attacks would bring a “swift and visible” criminal justice response. Mahmood said she treated anti-Semitism as “an emergency,” describing it as the main security issue she faced.

The government announced 25 million pounds ($34 million) for more police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centers, and Starmer said the courts would speed up convictions for anti-Semitic attacks as a deterrent.

But some Jews and others say the government has allowed a climate of anti-Semitism to develop. They say the pro-Palestinian protests, held regularly since October 2023, have gone beyond criticism of Israel’s actions to foster an atmosphere of intimidation and hatred against Jews.

The protests have been mostly peaceful, but some say slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” incite anti-Jewish hatred. Some protesters were arrested for showing support for Hamas, an organization banned in the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Hall, a former government reviewer of anti-terrorism legislation, called for a temporary ban on pro-Palestinian marches, saying they had helped “incubate” anti-Semitism.

The leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, backed calls for a ban, saying the marches “are used as a cover for violence and intimidation against Jews.”

The government did not support a ban, but Starmer said protesters who used the phrase “globalize the Intifada” – seen by some as a call to attack Jews – should be prosecuted.

Starmer said the government would ramp up powers “to tackle the malicious threat posed by states like Iran – because we know full well they want to harm British Jews”.