Antisemitism ‘a national security emergency’, says government terror adviser after Golders Green attack

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Shlomo, a 23-year-old who lives Hendon, saw the suspect being arrested on Wednesday.

He tells me: “I was driving when I reached the corner of Woodlands and Golders Green Road, I had to stop as a police car was blocking me.

“As I got out of my car I saw the attacker being arrested. He was 10 feet away from me, on the ground.”

“I heard them saying, you are under arrest for attempted murder’, and I thought ‘oh my goodness, what have I walked into’.”

He continues: “The guy was big but he didnt struggle.”

Shlomo says a paramedic arrived within seconds and asked him to help him carry his equipment, so he was close to the suspect.

“A lot of people in the street were very upset and angry and shouting at the attacker – they were heckling him,” he adds. “I am quite shaken up.”

“Its been really frightening,” a Jewish man from Golders Green, north-west London, tells the BBC.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, 28-year-old Joe says the Jewish community “are sharing a society with people who want to do us harm”, and questions if he needs to “disguise my Jewish-ness outwardly in order to be safe”.

He describes this as a “difficult question to have to ask”.

A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after yesterday’s attack.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this morning, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the suspect, a British national born in Somalia, came to the UK “lawfully as a child”.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the suspect has a history of serious violence and mental health issues.

Police also said they are investigating an altercation at an address in south-east London earlier on Wednesday, which is believed to involve the same suspect.

While arresting him, officers feared the suspect was carrying an explosive device and Tasered him while he continued to try to attack and stab them, Rowley said.

After his arrest, the suspect was treated briefly in hospital and now remains in police custody.

Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from north-west London

Shloime Rand’s mother tells the BBC her son, the 34-year-old victim of yesterday’s attack, is in “a stable condition”.

“As a mother, I’m pretty horrified that these things could happen on the streets of London, in an innocent community where we try our best not to hurt anyone.

“Shloime was walking on the street minding his own business. I was able to see him yesterday. Thank God, he was conscious the whole time. We hope he will be home before Shabbat.”

Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from north-west London

A friend of one of the victims named locally following yesterday’s attack, Shloime Rand, has said the 34-year-old hopes to be home for Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest from Friday to Saturday.

They say Rand was on his way to work before the attack, adding: “Hes a sincere, quiet gentleman. A very intelligent guy.”

Another man who says he knows Moshe Shine, the other victim, says the 76-year-old lives in Hendon and is originally from the Jewish community in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

He describes Shine as “a very nice, quiet, honest person”.

Mahmood then stresses that people from all backgrounds should be taking a standing against the hatred that has been projected towards Jewish communities.

“When I take the stand that I am taking against antisemitism, I am doing so as a practising Muslim, it is absolutely in line with my faith,” she observes.

Mahmood goes on to say that she will personally never hesitate to say or do what she must as home secretary, but also as a Muslim, to stamp out antisemitism.

“This land is their land, it is my land too, we share this land and we must all work together to keep each other safe,” she says.

With that, the home secretary’s interview comes to an end.

Mahmood is asked if protests in favour of Palestinian rights could be seen as “incubating hostile views”.

The home secretary says she recognises the freedom of people to protest, but says there are “far too many instances” of hate crimes being committed during demonstrations.

She adds that the crime and policing bill, which became law on Wednesday, gives additional powers to deal with repeat protests.

When asked if far-right activist Tommy Robinson’s protest, set to take place on 16 May, should go ahead she says she will be having conversations with police.

She adds that she feels broader public order legislation is no longer “fit for purpose”, following the Heaton Park synagogue attack last year.

Mahmood says she “will not hesitate to make further changes”.

Mahmood says she recognises the Jewish community feels unsafe, and that she “completely” understands it is frustrating when there is a sense officials are “trotting out the same words” after an attack.

She describes antisemitism as “abhorrent and unacceptable”, adding that the Jewish community has “every right” to live in safety.

The home secretary says attacks are intended “to divide our society”, make people feel “tired and frustrated”, and to erode cross-community solidarity.

Asked about policing, Mahmood says “we are straining every sinew in terms of our security posture here”, and points to the 25m in funding announced today – but says it is “not the only answer”.

The home secretary is asked if she agrees with the government’s adviser on terrorism, Jonathan Hall KC, that the recent attacks on Jewish people in the UK are “the biggest national security emergency” in almost a decade.

“I am treating this as an emergency,” she tells the BBC.

But she says that the phrase “national emergency” has particular connotations, for instance suspending elements of democracy.

“That is not quite where we are,” she notes, but stresses this is the top security issue that she is dealing with.

We’re now hearing from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about claims from a group linked with Iran that it was responsible for the attack in Golders Green.

She says it is “not unusual” for such groups to claim responsibility for such attacks, but the background and motivation of the attack is still being investigated.

Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (Hayi), which translates as The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, is claiming it was behind the attack in Golders Green – although it has not provided any proof.

The BBC understands that counter-terrorism investigators know about the claim – but this is where we have to be cautious. The claim could be opportunistic, writes our home and legal correspondent.

The shadow home secretary has called for increased use of counter-terrorism surveillance techniques to identify and prevent antisemitic crime.

Chris Philp, who was minister for crime and policing from 2022 to 2024, tells BBC Breakfast the UK also “urgently” needs more police patrolling Jewish communities to deal with a “relentless increase” in attacks.

Figures show a large spike in antisemitic crime in recent years, peaking in 2023.

Philp says the UK is “importing antisemitism” via immmigration, adding: “I think people who are here who are foreign citizens with antisemitic views, or who support extremism or terrorism, should frankly be deported.”

Mahmood says she has full confidence in Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, and praises the police’s efforts to tackle the recent spate of attacks against Jewish communities.

The home secretary is repeatedly pressed on comments from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis yesterday, who told the BBC people in the UK who are visibly Jewish are no longer safe.

Mahmood says she understands there is fear in the community, but repeats that the government is putting more policing and security in place “so that people can go about their business”.

Mahmood says she accepts that security can only tackle the “end of the problem”, and more must be done to address racism “at its root”.

The 45-year-old suspect arrested yesterday came to the UK “lawfully as a child” from Somalia, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood tells BBC Breakfast.

Yesterday police said he was born in Somalia but did not indicate how he arrived in the country.

Mahmood says she can’t give further details while the investigation continues.

• Watch the BBC interviewing her live at the top of the page

The government has announced an extra 25m in funding for increased police patrols and security in Jewish communities after Wednesday’s attack in Golders Green.

It says the funding will also be used to put further protections in place around synagogues, schools and community centres.

We’re expecting to hear from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood shortly and will bring you more.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the British government to do more to protect Jews.

A statement references “weakness” in the face of “one antisemitic attack after another”.

It continues: “Words are not enough to confront this scourge.

“We demand and expect action by the British government to protect the Jews of England and bring antisemites to justice.”

Few details have been released so far about the man detained over the stabbing in Golders Green, which is usual for this early in an investigation.

The Metropolitan Police has described him as a 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia.

He has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Suspects are generally not named unless they are charged.

Yesterday, Sir Mark Rowley said the individual in custody has a “history of serious violence and mental health issues”.

After he was Tasered and detained, he was taken to hospital but was later discharged and taken to a London police station.

Detectives believe the suspect was involved in an altercation in a property in Southwark earlier on Wednesday, which left one person with minor injuries.

Labour MP Sarah Sackman, who represents Finchley and Golders Green, was heckled by bystanders during a press conference alongside the Met Police chief following the attack.

Sackman, a justice minister, said she understood the anger of the hecklers and insisted antisemitism is “a fight we need to have society-wide”.

She told BBC Newsnight the Golders Green attack demonstrated that “the threats to Jewish people in this country are very real”, but added “we can’t guarantee that everybody is kept safe”.

Sackman, who is Jewish herself, said: “When I take my children to synagogue in my local area, I find myself holding and gripping their hand a little bit tighter. I know I’m not alone in that.”

There is growing pressure on the government to tackle antisemitism in the UK, with the Golders Green attack being the latest in a series of recent incidents targeting the Jewish community.

The government’s independent reviewer of terrorism and state threats legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, told the BBC’s The World Tonight that attacks on Jewish people in the UK have now become “the biggest national security emergency” since 2017.

“There are Brits in London in particular, Manchester, but probably all around the country, who are now thinking they cannot live a normal life. And it’s not one attack, it’s multiple attacks,” he said.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who represents Britain’s largest Jewish community, said the incident “proves that if you are visibly Jewish, you’re not safe and far more needs to be done”.

He called for “meaningful action” to tackle the “root causes” of antisemitism, while the Board of Deputies of British Jews said antisemitism must be “confronted, punished and deterred with the full force of the state”.

After the attack the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said words were “not enough to confront this scourge” of attacks in London.

We’re resuming our coverage of the Golders Green attack.

Overnight, the two Jewish men who were stabbed in the attack, which has been declared a terror incident by police, have been named locally as Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76.

They were treated at the scene and are now in a stable condition in hospital.

There have been calls, including from the chief rabbi and protesters, for the government to do more on antisemitism after the latest attack.

If you’re just joining us, here’s everything you need to know:

• A 45-year-old man, a British national born in Somalia, is in custody after being Tasered by police and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
• The Metropolitan Police added that the suspect had a history of serious violence and mental health issues
• Body-worn footage released by police showed the suspect walking towards officers who can be heard yelling “drop the knife” repeatedly before a Taser is deployed

• Detectives carried out a search at a south-east London address and are looking into a reported incident that is believed to be linked to the suspect arrested at Golders Green

• Eyewitnesses recounted the chaos during the attack, with one local saying: “We started seeing people running. It was terrifying”

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the “antisemitic attack” – the latest in a series of incidents in the UK – as “utterly appalling”
• Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who represents Britain’s largest Jewish community, said these kinds of attacks “cannot be allowed to continue”

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.

Cachella Smith
Live reporter

Two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, this morning in what police declared within hours to be a terrorist incident.

The two victims, aged 76 and 34, were treated at the scene and remain in a stable condition in hospital. Counter-terror police are investigating whether the Jewish community in London was deliberately targeted.

A 45-year-old man, identified as a British national, is in custody after he was Tasered by police. He has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and police are searching an address in south-east London.

Body-worn footage released by the police showed the moments leading up to the arrest. Officers can be heard repeatedly telling the suspect to “drop the knife” as they deploy the Taser and arrest the man while on the ground.

The incident has led to renewed concerns about the safety and protection of the Jewish community in the UK. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said the incident proved “if you are visibly Jewish, you’re not safe”.

“It’s just one after another,” said a member of Jewish security group Shomrim who himself responded to the incident.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “antisemitic attack” – the latest in a string in the UK – was “utterly appalling” and said enhanced funding to protect the community needed to be increased. Buckingham Palace also said the King was “deeply concerned” about the impact on the Jewish community.

We’re bringing our live coverage to a close, but you can read more in our story.