Updated ,first published
London: The British government has vowed to pass new laws to tackle terror threats by Iranian and other proxies after two Jewish men were stabbed in a frenzied attack on a London street.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was treating antisemitism as “an emergency”, calling it “the top pressing issue in relation to security” she faced.
Political leaders condemned the stabbings, which followed a series of arson attacks on synagogues and Jewish organisations, and the Israeli government called for greater action to keep people safe.
The Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday (London time) its officers responded to reports of people being stabbed in Highfield Avenue, Barnet, which is adjacent to Golders Green, an area in the north of the city with a large Jewish population.
The police formally declared it a terrorist incident.
Two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, were treated at the scene for stab wounds and taken to hospital, where they remain in a stable condition. Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis named the victims as Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila.
“Please join me in praying for a swift and complete recovery for the victims of today’s attack,” he said on social media.
Bodycam footage released by the police showed officers yelling “drop the knife” at the suspect before they Tasered him, and he dropped to the ground.
Police said the 45-year-old suspect, who was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder, was a British national who was born in Somalia. They said they believed he had also attacked someone in Southwark, in south London, hours before the incident near Golders Green. He is believed to have been armed with a knife in the Southwark incident, where the victim received minor injuries.
The investigation is being led by specialist officers from the counterterrorism unit, highlighting the concern at the recent series of attacks bringing terror to members of the Jewish community.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an emergency cabinet meeting with security advisers and said he would bring together crime agencies to ensure swift justice.
“The antisemitic attack in Golders Green is utterly appalling. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain,” he said.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis later told Times Radio the government would fast-track legislation to allow people acting as a proxy of a state-sponsored group to be prosecuted under Britain’s National Security Act. Interior minister Shabana Mahmood promised an extra £25 million ($47 million) for more police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centres.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had earlier said “something much bigger” needed to be done, while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said there was now 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,” she said.
The knife attack follows arson attacks in recent weeks targeting Jewish sites in London, including a synagogue and a charity’s ambulances in Golders Green.
Authorities are investigating whether the arson attacks were the work of Iranian proxies. A group with ties to Iran claimed to be behind the knife attack, but this could not be verified.
In a joint statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said the attacks felt “relentless” for their communities, just seven months after two men were killed at a synagogue in Manchester when an assailant rammed the building and began attacking with a knife.
“We are sickened by yet another terrorist attack on our community, this time targeting two visibly Jewish men on the streets of London,” they said.
“This attack, and the others we have witnessed, are not only on the Jewish community, but on our country and its values. It is an attack on the right to live freely, to celebrate one’s identity without fear, and to walk our streets in safety.
“The government, the justice system and leaders at every level must recognise the seriousness of this moment.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a video on social media soon after the knife attack, showing a man being assaulted at a bus stop, and said the British government had to do more to stop the problem.
“After attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions, community ambulances and now Jews targeted in Golders Green, the UK government can no longer claim this is under control,” the ministry said.
“Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statements are no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism festering across the United Kingdom.
“British Jews should not need security patrols and emergency volunteers to live openly as Jews. Enough words. The UK must act decisively and urgently.”
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of counter-terrorism policing, said officers were working with security services to ensure a “full intelligence picture” of the attack.
“I can also confirm that this has now formally been declared a terrorist incident,” he said.
“One of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London.
“Now, that community are strong, but they will be incredibly concerned to see and hear what has happened today, particularly in the wake of other incidents in recent weeks.
“I want to make it clear that counter-terrorism policing, and police forces up and down the country, are mobilising to provide additional support and reassurance.
“And we request that the public are vigilant and stand alongside communities who may be feeling worried this evening.”
With Reuters and AP
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David Crowe is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.