London stabbing: Two injured in Jewish neighbourhood; Starmer calls attack ‘deeply concerning’

Two men were seriously injured in a stabbing incident in Golders Green, a north London area with a large Jewish population, on Wednesday.In a post on X, community security group Shomrim said a man was seen running along the high street armed with a knife and attempting to attack Jewish members of the public.

The group said it responded immediately and helped detain the suspect. Police later arrived at the scene and used a Taser before arresting the man.Emergency services, including ambulances and a police helicopter, were deployed, and large parts of the road were cordoned off.

Eyewitness accounts and response

Local accounts indicated that one victim was stabbed outside a row of shops, while another was attacked near a synagogue.Visuals circulating on social media showed police officers restraining a suspect as emergency responders attended to victims on the street.London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed that an arrest had been made, adding that the Metropolitan Police had increased high-visibility patrols in the area and would provide further updates.

Starmer calls incident ‘deeply concerning’

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “deeply concerning,” telling Parliament that authorities must remain “absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offences, the likes of which we’ve seen too much recently.”

Series of antisemitic incidents

The attack comes amid a recent surge in antisemitic incidents across London. Reuters reported that police have arrested more than two dozen people in the past month in connection with attacks on Jewish-linked properties.These include arson attacks on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in Golders Green, as well as attempted arson at synagogues and other premises.Authorities are also probing possible links to Iranian-backed groups, with officials warning that foreign actors may be using criminal proxies to carry out hostile activities in the UK.The rise in such incidents follows heightened tensions since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.