A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed in the North London attack, which has been declared a terrorist incident
A brave security guard recounted how he faced off against the Golders Green assailant who was wielding a knife at him. A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the stabbing of two men – one in his 70s and another in his 30s – in North London this morning.
A terrorist incident has been declared, stated Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor. The Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis identified the victims as Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila in a post on X. He added: “Please join me in praying for a swift and complete recovery for the victims of today’s attack.”
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man on Golders Green Road armed with a knife, according to Jewish security group Shomrim on social media. The alarming assault has sparked calls for action from the chief rabbi and the Israeli foreign ministry, following a string of incidents targeting Jewish locations in London.
Valiant Yonathan Elkouby, 33, said: “I rushed towards the stabbing scene and blocked the attacker with my vehicle. I jumped out and he came towards me brandishing a knife. I did not have time to be afraid.”, reports the Mirror.
“I was wearing our uniform with black jacket and yellow so he may have thought I was the police. As he was wheeling around some other people pushed him down. So I am not a real hero. I did what I had to do.”
Yonathan, a member of Shomrim, expressed his concern: “I think all this comes about because people think it’s okay to attack Jews. Not enough is being done to stop it.”
Ben Grossnass, 40, a father-of-five and fellow Shomrim security service worker, told the Mirror: “The first man stabbed was walking out of a synagogue very near the one where the ambulances were burned recently. Then the attacker ran and saw an elderly man at a bus stop.
“He shoved the man to the ground.” Mr Grossnass added: “Heroes jumped on the attacker and overpowered him.”
CCTV from the scene depicts a man in front of a bus stop being lunged at by another man who seems to be wielding a knife.
Rabbi Levi Schapiro, from Stamford Hill’s Jewish Community Council (JCC), spoke to the Mirror from the hospital where the two victims were taken shortly after the assault.
He confirmed both are from his area – and that one of them is a teacher who works nearby. One victim is in a “more serious condition”, the rabbi said, and the other is “stable”.
Footage shared on social media shows an older man donning a kippah as he waits at a bus stop, before the attacker lunges at him. A pizza shop employee on Golders Green Road stated he assisted the elderly stab victim after he noticed him bleeding from his neck.
The suspect was halted and tasered before being apprehended.
Counter-terrorism police are spearheading the investigation, working in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to determine any links to terrorism. Laurence Taylor, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “While 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.”
He suggested one line of inquiry is whether the Golders Green attack was a calculated assault on the Jewish community.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared she would not “tolerate a situation where our Jewish citizens have to lead smaller lives”
Speaking to broadcasters, she said: “I’m very clear, our Jewish community are a part of our community here in the United Kingdom and I want them to feel safe. I do not want Jewish people in our country to be leading a smaller life or to have to build ever higher walls in order to keep themselves safe. These are not warm words, they are a statement of intent and what is and what is not acceptable in our country.”
A man was spotted near the scene of the attack seemingly carrying a knife.
Amid cries of “resign” and “shame on you” at the scene, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley stated: “My first thoughts are with the two British Jews, who were attacked while going about their daily lives, which they should be able to do freely and safely in their own local community.
“I also want to pay tribute to my officers, who were on the scene within a few minutes, and whose actions undoubtedly prevented further injury and saved lives. Before coming here today, I met with them. They’re nothing short of extraordinary.
“They confronted a man they believed to be a terrorist, who refused to show his hands, who was violent and continued to pose a clear threat. These were not armed officers, and they feared that he was carrying an explosive device.”