The British capital, London, witnessed a stabbing attack on Wednesday, during which two Jewish people were injured, while the attacker was arrested. British police said that the attack was being treated as “terrorist,” and that its officers were investigating whether the attack deliberately targeted Jews.

Published on: 04/29/2026 - 19:32

A person stabbed two Jewish men on Wednesday in north London, where the attacker was arrested, in an incident that comes after a series of attacks on Jewish sites in the city that prompted the leaders of the United Kingdom and Israel to demand urgent action.

The two victims, one in his thirties and the other in his seventies, were stabbed in the Godelders Green area, a neighborhood inhabited by a large number of Jews.

The police forces said in a statement that the two men "received treatment at the scene of the accident and were then transferred to the hospital, and their condition is stable."

The police added, "A 45-year-old man was arrested on charges of attempted murder. He is being held pending investigation, and we are working to determine his nationality and background."

"An act of terrorism"

Lawrence Taylor, head of the London Police Counter-Terrorism Unit, said in a brief statement to the press, "This incident has been officially declared an act of terrorism."

Greater London Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said at the scene that the suspect "has a history of serious violence and mental health problems."

At the scene of the incident, some residents stood near cars and security barriers, and a woman carried a white sign that read, “Stop attacks against Jews.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on the X platform: “The anti-Semitic attack in Golders Green is absolutely horrific. Attacks on British Jews are attacks on Britain.”

He thanked the Jewish neighborhood watch group "Shomrim", whose members were able to control the attacker before the police intervened, as well as the volunteer ambulance service "Hatzola" that helped the injured.

King Charles III expressed "deep concern," according to what Buckingham Palace announced.

The suspect tried to stab the police officers, but he was unable to injure them, and they controlled him using an electric taser.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirqis said, “Words of condemnation are no longer enough,” calling on “every institution, group, official, and every person in this country to take concrete measures.”

'decisive action'

The incident follows a wave of arson attacks targeting synagogues and community sites in north London.

The first attack occurred in late March, and included the burning of four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity.

Other incidents followed, including an attack on a synagogue and the headquarters of a Jewish charity. Another synagogue was attacked last week.

The police arrested 26 people in connection with the attacks that began after the start of the American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.

Many of these attacks were claimed by a little-known group called the “Islamic Righteous People’s Movement,” believed to have ties to Tehran.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the incident, saying that “the British government can no longer claim that the situation is under control,” calling for “decisive and urgent measures.”

These events raise increasing concern among the Jewish community, of which two people were killed and three others were seriously injured in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester on October 2, 2025.

Security reinforcements in London

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that the police have strengthened their patrols in the area, and the security presence has already been strengthened in recent weeks.

In investigations related to fires and attempts to set fires in London since the start of the war in the Middle East, 26 people were arrested, and these actions were not classified as terrorist crimes, although the investigation was assigned to the Anti-Terrorism Unit.

On Monday, a wall in London covered with pictures of demonstrators killed during the crackdown launched by the authorities in Iran was deliberately burned without causing any damage, according to what the police announced on Tuesday, which opened an investigation into the incident.

A few days ago, a “flaming object” was thrown at the building of “Iran International” in London, a Persian-language television station that Tehran considers a terrorist organization.

France 24/AFP

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