Two Jewish Men Stabbed in Golders Green in Attack Declared Terrorism by Metropolitan Police

Two Jewish Men Stabbed in Golders Green in Attack Declared Terrorism by Metropolitan Police

Two Jewish men were stabbed in broad daylight in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday morning in an attack that the Metropolitan Police have formally declared a terrorist incident and an antisemitic act — the latest in a series of attacks targeting London's Jewish community that has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to convene an emergency COBRA meeting and drawn condemnation from political leaders across the UK and Israel.

Background

Golders Green is one of London's most prominent Jewish neighbourhoods, home to a large and long-established Jewish community with numerous synagogues, kosher restaurants, and Jewish cultural institutions. The area has been a centre of Jewish life in north London for over a century, and its streets are familiar to Jewish communities across the UK and internationally. The attack on Wednesday morning struck at the heart of that community in a way that has generated profound shock and fear.

The attack does not exist in isolation. London's Jewish community has faced a sustained and escalating series of antisemitic incidents over the past several months, many of which counterterrorism police are now investigating as potentially linked. The Community Security Trust recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents across the UK in 2025 — more than double the 1,662 recorded in 2022 — a trajectory that has alarmed community leaders and prompted repeated calls for stronger government action.

Recent incidents in London include the firebombing of four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March; arson attempts on the Finchley Reform Synagogue and the office of Iran International on 15 April; an arson attempt on a building that previously housed a Jewish group on 24 April; the discovery of jars containing unknown substances near the Israeli embassy on 25 April; the firebombing of the Kenton United Synagogue on 27 April; and an arson attack on a memorial wall in Golders Green on 28 April. The pattern of escalating attacks has created a climate of fear in London's Jewish community that Wednesday's stabbing has dramatically intensified.

Key Developments

The attack occurred at approximately 11:16am on Wednesday 29 April. Security camera footage captured one victim, wearing a kippah, being shoved against a sign and repeatedly stabbed near a bus stop on Golders Green Road. A second victim was attacked while walking along the street. Both men — aged 34 and 76 — sustained knife wounds and were taken to hospital, where they are reported to be in stable condition. Hatzola, the volunteer Jewish emergency medical service, provided initial treatment at the scene.

The suspect, a 45-year-old man, was seen running along Golders Green Road attempting to stab Jewish individuals before being intercepted by volunteers from the North West London Shomrim — the Jewish neighbourhood watch organisation. Shomrim volunteers detained the suspect until police arrived, at which point he reportedly attempted to stab officers and was subdued with a Taser. He subsequently suffered cardiac arrest and received treatment at the scene before being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley stated that the suspect has "a history of serious violence and mental health issues."

Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), described as an alleged Iranian front group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a video released on channels affiliated with the Iranian regime, stating that "Zionists were targeted by our lone wolves in the Golders Green Area of London." The Metropolitan Police are investigating the claim as part of their counterterrorism inquiry. Rowley acknowledged police awareness of "foreign organisations and hostile states paying individuals to commit acts of violence" but declined to comment on live investigations.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a COBRA emergency committee meeting in response to the attack, calling it "deeply concerning" and stating that "attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain." London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the heroism of Shomrim and Hatzola volunteers. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the situation as a "national emergency," stating that Jewish people in the UK are under "constant attack." Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on the British government to act urgently, stating: "In one of the great capital cities of the West, it has become dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew."

Why It Matters

This attack represents a qualitative escalation in the pattern of antisemitic violence in London. Previous incidents — arson attacks, vandalism, harassment — were serious but did not involve direct physical assault on individuals in a public place in broad daylight. Wednesday's stabbing, in a busy street in a prominent Jewish neighbourhood, crosses a threshold that demands a fundamental reassessment of the security arrangements for London's Jewish community.

The potential involvement of an Iranian-linked group adds a geopolitical dimension that complicates the response. If HAYI's claim of responsibility is substantiated, it would represent a direct attack on British soil by a group acting in the interests of a foreign state — a development with serious implications for UK-Iran relations and for the government's approach to countering Iranian influence operations. The UK summoned Iran's ambassador earlier this week over social media posts urging Iranian citizens to "give their lives" for their country, suggesting that tensions between London and Tehran are already running high.

Local Impact

For Jewish communities across the UK and Ireland, Wednesday's attack has generated profound fear and anger. In London, community leaders have called for increased police patrols in Jewish neighbourhoods and for the government to take more decisive action against the organisations and states that are inciting and potentially funding antisemitic violence. In Belfast, where a small but established Jewish community exists, and in Dublin, where the Jewish community has deep historical roots, the attack has been met with expressions of solidarity and concern. The Board of Deputies of British Jews has called for urgent action, and the Chief Rabbi has demanded meaningful responses from all institutions and community leaders.

What's Next

The Metropolitan Police counterterrorism investigation is ongoing. The suspect will appear before a court once he has received medical treatment and been formally charged. COBRA will meet again to assess the security response and consider whether additional protective measures are required for Jewish sites across the UK. The government is expected to make a statement to Parliament when it returns from prorogation. The investigation into the potential Iranian connection will be conducted in coordination with MI5 and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office.

Sources: CNN — Golders Green stabbing, 29 April 2026; Jerusalem Post — Antisemitic attack London, 29 April 2026