Two Jewish men are ‘seriously injured’ after being stabbed near a north London synagogue by a knifeman ‘who was trying to attack Jews’.
The man was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife and ‘attempting to stab Jewish members of the public’, security group Shomrim said.
He was detained by Shomrim volunteers before police officers Tasered and arrested him.
One man was reportedly stabbed outside a synagogue and a second by a bus stop, with footage showing at least one of them receiving CPR at the scene.
The incident occurred just minutes away from where four Jewish community ambulances were firebombed last month.
Police are also investigating arson attacks on two synagogues and a memorial wall.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the stabbings ‘deeply concerning’, adding to MPs: ‘I think we all need to do everything we can to support that investigation and be absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offences, the like of which we have seen too much recently.’
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said Shomrim volunteers stopped the suspect with a vehicle. It reported witnesses as describing the man running towards a bus stop as onlookers screamed warnings to other people nearby.
One witness, who gave their name as Shlomoh, told the Daily Mail: ‘I arrived at the scene and the road was still open.
‘There were two police officers and a Shomrim member Tasering and hitting the suspect.
‘Members of the public came out and helped detain him and within the space of a minute and a half there was a lot of police and the road was cordoned off within five minutes.’
A photo of the scene in Golders Green today, with an ambulance parked on the road alongside several police cars
Two Jewish men were seriously injured in the attack in the north London neighbourhood
Video has been circulating that allegedly shows the suspect being arrested
Sarah Sackman, the MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said she was meeting the home secretary ‘imminently’ to discuss the attack in her constituency.
‘I have been made aware of a serious stabbing in Golders Green. The suspect has been detained,’ she said in a statement.
She thanks Shomrim, the Jewish security group, for its ‘vital work’ detaining the suspect.
‘The attacks on British Jews are an attack on Britain itself. It is unconscionable that Jews are being targeted in this way’, she added.
Jewish charity the Community Security Trust said: ‘There has been a knife attack today in Golders Green. The suspect has been arrested.
‘We would like to thank @shomrimlondon, @Hatzola and @metpoliceuk for their swift response.
‘We are working closely with the police and urge anyone with information to contact the police, Shomrim and CST immediately.’
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described today’s stabbing as ‘yet another appalling antisemitic attack’.
‘The Jewish community are not being properly protected from this hate,’ he wrote on X.
‘We have seen Iran sponsoring antisemitic attacks and Islamist extremism run rampant. The Government must urgently step up tangible actions against antisemitism, Iran and Islamist extremism.’
Police are currently investigating an arson attack on a memorial wall just streets away from today’s incident.
The memorial wall is a tribute to thousands of protesters killed in a crackdown in Iran in January and is near a Jewish centre.
A section of the wall is dedicated to those killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel in 2023, while a more recent statement of solidarity for the Jewish community in the wake of recent attacks has been attached to a nearby tree.
Police were called to reports of a fire there at 7.28pm on Monday and the investigation is now being led by Counter Terror Policing, Scotland Yard has said.
There was a heavy police presence on Golders Green Road following the incident
A video still showing a police car next to where one of the men was stabbed
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told MPs the stabbings ‘deeply concerning’
The memorial wall itself was not damaged – although there are scorch marks at a desk – but it has been sealed off.
Golders Green Road is approximately five minutes away from where four Jewish ambulances were firebombed last month in another shocking attack.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews added: ‘We are aware of a reported stabbing incident in Golders Green, with two injured. The police have apprehended a suspect.
‘We are liaising with the CST, Government and police to understand what has happened and ensure a forceful response.’
Yesterday counter-terror police revealed they had arrested a suspect close to an isolated Devon market town over a series of attacks on the Jewish community in London.
A 37-year-old man was held by the Met Police on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts at an address close to Barnstaple on Sunday night.
He has been taken 210 miles to London for questioning. He has been bailed.
The suspect, who has not been named, is the 26th person to be arrested since the firebombing of Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, two synagogues in north-west London and the former premises of a Jewish charity.
There were also jars containing a powdered substance left in Kensington Gardens close to the Israeli Embassy – as well as a drone incursion – and an attack on a Persian-language media organisation opposed to the Iranian regime in the capital in recent weeks.
Pro-Iranian group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia – the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right – has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
There have been arson attacks on Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, north-west London, a synagogue and a former Jewish charity, as well as an incident where a drone was flown near the Israeli embassy.
The Golders Green firebombing caused gas canisters stored in the ambulances to explode, with the force from the blast causing windows to break in a block of flats close by.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described today’s stabbing as ‘yet another appalling antisemitic attack’
The synagogue, one of Europe’s oldest, had its roof damaged and stained glass windows smashed in the fire. There were no injuries.
Counter-terror police have been looking into the possible involvement of Iranian proxies.
Premises linked to people opposing the Iranian regime have also been targeted, the Met said last week.
An attempted arson attack was also carried out on April 15 at Finchley Reform Synagogue, and at about 8.30pm outside the offices of a Persian media company, both in north-west London.
On Tuesday, a 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to arson not endangering life following the attack on Kenton United Synagogue.
Today’s incident was raised in the Commons by Hornsey and Friern Barnet MP Catherine West.
She said: ‘The whole House will be very concerned to hear about the dreadful stabbings this morning in the borough of Barnet.’
The Labour MP said she was ‘very worried about this repeated violence against the Jewish community’.
She added: ‘We condemn these alleged attacks and we wish the police, the council and all the community services the very best in solving this and bringing to justice those perpetrators of these violent crimes.’
