Horrifying footage shows a knifeman stabbing an elderly man at a bus stop and chasing another victim down a street during an anti-Jewish rampage in north London.
Two Jewish men, one in his 70s and another in his 30s, are in a stable condition in hospital after the attacks in Golders Green this morning.
The 45-year-old suspect also tried to stab police before he was Tasered and arrested. The Met said it is ‘working to establish his nationality and background’.
Video obtained by the Daily Mail shows the suspect rushing at a man waiting by a bus stop and frantically knifing him before two hero bystanders run to help.
In separate footage, a crouching figure follows a man wearing ultra-Orthodox attire along a street near a synagogue. He then ambushes another Jewish man walking in the other direction, with audio appearing to reveal him shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’.
Later, the suspect is seen in a stand-off with two police officers before one of them shoots him with a Taser before stamping on his head. A brave passer-by then jumps on the suspect and helps the officers restrain him.
The horror unfolded at around 11.15am on Highfield Avenue – 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 called the stabbings ‘deeply concerning’ and said his Government were ‘absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offences, the like of which we have seen too much recently’.
But Israel’s foreign ministry said Sir Keir’s statements are ‘no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism’ and ‘the UK Government can no longer claim this is under control’.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said ‘words of condemnation are no longer sufficient’ and called for ‘meaningful action’.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said Shomrim volunteers – who provide civilian security patrols in predominantly Jewish areas – stopped the suspect with a vehicle before police arrived to arrest him.
One witness, who gave their name as Shlomoh, told the Daily Mail: ‘I arrived at the scene to see two police officers and a Shomrim member Tasering and hitting the suspect.’
The victim of the bus stop stabbing staggered into a pizza takeaway where he was helped by a member of staff. Tariq Aziz said: ‘He came to our shop and then I gave him a tissue and helped him, and then police came suddenly and arrested the guy.’
Yecottien Benouaich, 40, who lives in the local area, described the elderly victim as ‘my best friend’ and said he had been ‘stabbed for being Jewish’.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan called the attack ‘appalling’ and condemned the ‘series of shocking antisemitic attacks’ in London. Today’s chaos took place yards away from a large Jewish care home and the headquarters of a major Jewish charity.
Video obtained by the Daily Mail the suspect rushing a man waiting at a bus stop and frantically knifing him before two hero bystanders run towards him
Officers kick the suspect in the head after Tasering him. They were helped by a passer-by (right)
In separate footage, a crouching figure is seen following a man wearing ultra-Orthodox attire near a synagogue before ambushing another Jewish man walking in the other direction
The suspect walking along a pavement near the scene
An armed policeman at the scene of the stabbings, which happened at around 11.45am
Another video showing the suspect being arrested
The attacks have prompted fresh claims that the Government is failing to tackle antisemitic violence.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘Jewish people in our country are under constant attack. This is no longer a growing pattern.
‘There is an epidemic of violence against Jewish people.
‘It is now a national emergency and needs to be treated as such by the Government and public authorities.’
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, described the stabbing as ‘yet another appalling antisemitic attack’.
‘The Jewish community are not being properly protected from this hate,’ he said.
‘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.’
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 thanked Shomrim 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.
Andrew, a Jewish man who lives in Golders Green, rushed to the scene after hearing about the attacks.
‘The man attacked an elderly gentleman by the bus stop five minutes after stabbing another Jewish man near the synagogue,’ he said.
‘It’s not a surprise something like this has happened. We are living with antisemitism and they are burning our ambulances and harassing us every day.
‘It’s a real shame Jewish people are having to live in fear in London and a lot of people are moving away. It has only become worse in the last few years and it’s not being helped by the Government.’
Specialist officers from Counter-Terrorism Policing are leading the investigation and working with the Met to establish the full circumstances and any links to terrorism.
Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said: ‘Whilst I must stress this investigation is at an early stage, we are working quickly to understand exactly what happened.
‘Thank you to those who were in the area at the time and supported the response to this terrible incident.’
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in the area, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the victims of this horrific attack. We are grateful to officers who swiftly Tasered and arrested the suspect before he could cause further harm.
‘We are aware of the significant distress and concern this incident is likely to cause in the face of a number of incidents in the local area. A suspect is in custody, and investigators are considering all possible motives.
‘Officers will remain at the scene for some time to carry out further enquiries, speak to local people and offer reassurance.’
A photo of the scene in Golders Green today, with an ambulance parked on the road alongside several police cars
Two Jewish men are stable in hospital after the attacks
A video still showing a police car next to where one of the men was stabbed
There was a heavy police presence on Golders Green Road following the stabbings
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BREAKING NEWS Counter terror police probe another Golders Green arson attack
The attacks happened approximately five minutes away from where four Jewish ambulances were firebombed last month.
Police are also investigating an arson attack on a nearby memorial wall.
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.
The memorial wall itself was not damaged – although there are scorch marks at a desk – but it has been sealed off.
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.’
Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: ‘We are devastated by the news of a stabbing attack in Golders Green in which two Jewish people have been injured.
‘Attack after attack after attack. Jewish life in this country is under threat not seen for generations. This is a deeply worrying time and cannot be allowed to continue.
‘We are grateful to the Met Police, the Community Security Trust, Shomrim and Hatzola for their swift and decisive response.
‘Our thoughts are with the victims and their families and we wish them a full and speedy recovery.’
Moishe, a 30-year-old property surveyor who was the victim of antisemitic abuse last week in Slough, said: ‘Again. And again. And again. All talk, no action.
‘British Jews must come to terms with the reality that we’re not safe here. This hatred has been left unchecked for so long, it’s ingrained in our society, it’s everywhere and it’s too late.’
Members of Jewish security group Shomrim with police officers in Golders Green
Other officers were seen speaking to members of the public
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told MPs the stabbings were ‘deeply concerning’
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described today’s stabbing as ‘yet another appalling antisemitic attack’
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.
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.
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.
