Two Jewish men were stabbed Wednesday morning in Golders Green, a north London neighborhood known for its large Orthodox Jewish population, in an attack that police have formally declared a terrorist incident.The victims, aged 76 and 34, suffered stab wounds but were in stable condition in hospital after receiving initial treatment from Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer emergency medical service.
A 45-year-old man was arrested shortly after the incident on suspicion of attempted murder. He was detained with assistance from volunteers of Shomrim, a Jewish community security patrol, before being tasered by police officers who responded to reports of stabbings on Highfield Avenue off Golders Green Road around 11:16 a.m. The suspect also attempted to stab responding officers, police said.
Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed the declaration of a terrorist incident and said one key line of inquiry is whether the Jewish community was deliberately targeted.Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who visited the scene, described the attack as “another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities.” He noted that the arrested man has a history of serious violence and mental health issues, and revealed that officers initially feared he might be carrying an explosive device.
The stabbing is the latest in a wave of antisemitic incidents in north London. It follows several arson attacks on Jewish sites in the area, including the torching of four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green in late March and other attempts targeting synagogues and community property. A group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), which has claimed links to Iranian proxies, has asserted responsibility for some of the earlier arsons, though police have not confirmed any direct connection to Wednesday’s attack.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident sharply, calling it an “antisemitic attack” that was “utterly appalling.”“Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain,” Starmer said. He told the House of Commons that such offences had occurred “too much recently” and convened a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee. Buckingham Palace said King Charles III, who is currently on a state visit to the United States, had been informed and was “deeply concerned,” particularly about the impact on the Jewish community.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the attack as “appalling” and part of a “series of shocking antisemitic attacks” on the city’s Jewish community. He said high-visibility police patrols had been stepped up in the area.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and opposition figures, including Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, also denounced the violence, with some describing the broader pattern as a “national emergency.”
Rowley acknowledged rising racist and antisemitic hate crime and said police were examining whether individuals were being encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit violence, sometimes on behalf of foreign states or organizations. He faced heckling from some members of the public at the scene, with chants of “shame on you.”
Armed police remained on patrol Wednesday evening as the cordoned crime scene underwent forensic examination.
Jewish community leaders and security groups expressed alarm over the cumulative effect of recent incidents on residents who already feel increasingly vulnerable. Shomrim volunteers played a key role in the initial response, as they often do in the neighborhood.
The Metropolitan Police said specialized teams were working with security services to build a full intelligence picture and urged anyone with information to come forward. Investigators are considering all possible motives, including terrorism.
The attack has heightened tensions in Golders Green and surrounding areas at a time when antisemitic incidents in Britain have surged amid broader international conflicts.
Police have made dozens of arrests in connection with the recent spate of attacks on Jewish targets in northwest London.
