A 45-year-old man allegedly attempted to stab police officers in Golders Green before being subdued with a Taser and arrested. Two people have been rushed to hospital with injuries
Disturbing footage has captured a suspected knifeman allegedly launching an attack on an elderly man at a bus stop before pursuing another victim along a street in what has been described as an anti-Jewish rampage in north London.
Two Jewish men – one in his 70s and another in his 30s – were taken to hospital following the assaults in Golders Green, where they remain in stable condition. The suspect, a 45-year-old man, allegedly attempted to stab police officers before being subdued with a Taser and arrested. The Metropolitan Police confirmed it is “working to establish his nationality and background”.
Video shows the suspected attacker charging at a man waiting at a bus stop and allegedly repeatedly stabbing him, before two bystanders rush in to intervene.
Additional footage appears to show a figure crouching as he follows a man dressed in ultra-Orthodox clothing near a synagogue. He then turns and attacks another Jewish man approaching from the opposite direction, with audio suggesting he shouted “Allahu Akbar”.
In later scenes, the suspect is shown confronting two police officers. One officer deploys a Taser, after which the suspect is kicked in the head as he continues to resist.
The attacks occurred at around 11:15am, just minutes from the location where four Jewish community ambulances were firebombed last month. Authorities are also examining separate arson incidents involving two synagogues and a memorial wall.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the stabbings as “deeply concerning”, telling MPs: “I think we all need to do everything we can to support that investigation and be absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offences, the like of which we have seen too much recently.”
However, Israel’s foreign ministry responded by saying Sir Keir’s remarks were “no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism” and that “the UK Government can no longer claim this is under control”.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said that “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient” and urged “meaningful action”.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism reported that volunteers from Shomrim – a civilian patrol group operating in Jewish neighbourhoods – used a vehicle to stop the suspect before police arrived.
A Jewish man at the scene said he had anticipated such violence amid heightened global tensions linked to the Iran war. Speaking anonymously, he said: “We expect this. We see what is going on in the world. We don’t know if this was an individual acting alone or someone acting for a group. It will come out from the investigation.”
Another Jewish man, who also asked not to be named, suggested that official responses to pro-Palestine demonstrations had contributed to rising attacks on Britain’s Jewish community.
He said: “They should catch one of them, punish them to the highest level and then people will learn to listen. You can’t expect to allow months of non-stop marches and then just apologise when something like this happens.” The 35-year-old added: “People here are very scared.”
Israel Morgenstern, 48, has lived in Golders Green for 15 years. He said: “We knew this attack was going to come. I feel this is a direct result of the weakness of the Labour Government when it comes to terrorism.
“When you see someone like Keir Starmer and Trump asking him to take down evil, and he doesn’t [it sends a message]… We live here. We are not scared, but we also know when something like this happens it’s time to pack our bags and go home [to Israel]. We don’t feel scared but we don’t feel safe anymore.”
Father of five Ben Grossnass, 40, works for the security service Shomrim. He 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 and was repeatedly stabbing him. “Heroes jumped on the attacker and overpowered him.”
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan labelled the incident “appalling” and condemned what he described as a “series of shocking antisemitic attacks” across the capital. The violence took place close to a large Jewish care home and the headquarters of a major Jewish charity.
Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said she was due to meet the home secretary “imminently” to address the incident in her constituency. “I have been made aware of a serious stabbing in Golders Green. The suspect has been detained,” she said.
The Community Security Trust, a Jewish charity, stated: “There has been a knife attack today in Golders Green. The suspect has been arrested. We would like to thank @shomrimlondon, @Hatzola and @metpoliceuk for their swift response. We are working closely with the police and urge anyone with information to contact the police, Shomrim and CST immediately.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp wrote on X: “The Jewish community are not being properly protected from this hate. We have seen Iran sponsoring antisemitic attacks and Islamist extremism run rampant. The Government must urgently step up tangible actions against antisemitism, Iran and Islamist extremism.
“The attacks on British Jews are an attack on Britain itself. It is unconscionable that Jews are being targeted in this way.”
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