2 are stabbed in a London Jewish neighborhood and a suspect is arrested

Two Jewish men were stabbed and injured on a London street Wednesday in what authorities are investigating as an act of terrorism, adding to growing concerns about antisemitic violence in the British capital.

The attack occurred in Golders Green, a northwest London suburb with a significant Jewish population, where a 45-year-old man attacked two Jewish men, ages 34 and 76. Both victims were hospitalized with knife wounds, according to Metropolitan Police.

Counterterrorism police quickly took over the investigation and are examining possible connections to recent arson attacks targeting synagogues and other Jewish sites across London. Authorities are specifically investigating potential Iranian links to these incidents, though police cautioned it’s too soon to confirm whether Wednesday’s stabbing is connected to the previous attacks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened the government’s emergency committee following the incident and vowed to “deal with the roots of antisemitism and extremism.” Buckingham Palace released a statement indicating King Charles III was “deeply concerned” about the attack.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley described the stabbing as “another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities.” However, when he visited the scene to make a statement to media, Rowley faced angry shouts of “shame on you” and “resign” from bystanders frustrated with what they perceive as inadequate protection.

According to the security organization Shomrim, the suspect “was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public.” Surveillance footage captured a man donning a kippah, or traditional skullcap, at a bus stop before being attacked by a knife-wielding assailant. Shomrim members detained the suspect before police officers arrived and subdued him with a stun gun.

Commissioner Rowley noted that the suspect, whose name has not been released, had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues.”

The attack comes amid a series of arson incidents targeting Jewish sites in London, including ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in Golders Green and a synagogue nearby.

“Today is somewhat worse because it’s a physical attack against two human beings,” said Golders Green resident Anthony Silber. “It’s shocking to hear, shocking to listen to, shocking to watch for those that saw, but it’s not a surprise.”

Golders Green, home to kosher restaurants, Jewish schools, and dozens of synagogues, represents one of the centers of Britain’s Jewish community, which numbers around 300,000 people nationwide. The area also has significant Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

The Community Security Trust charity reports that antisemitic incidents across the UK have soared since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Gaza conflict. The organization recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, more than double the 1,662 incidents recorded in 2022.

In October 2025, another serious attack occurred when an assailant drove a car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed one person. A second person died during that incident after being accidentally shot by police.

Since late February, when conflict with Iran escalated, a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites and Iranian government opponents has occurred across London. Several suspects ranging from teenagers to people in their 40s have been arrested and charged in connection with these incidents.

Counterterrorism officers are investigating whether these arson attacks were coordinated by Iranian proxies. Several have been claimed online by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right). Israeli authorities have described this as a recently founded group with suspected links to Iranian proxies, which has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

While an online claim in this group’s name also took responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbing, security experts caution that the name may be a “flag of convenience” rather than representing a cohesive organization.

Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service has reported that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year ending in October.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said British Jews face a campaign of violence and intimidation, adding that “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on the world to “wake up” to rising anti-Jewish hatred, stating: “In one of the great capital cities of the West, it has become dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew.”