A new stabbing that left two injured on April 29 in a Jewish neighborhood of London has set off alarms in the United Kingdom regarding anti-Semitic violence. The threat level now moves to the second rung on a five-point scale, at what is believed to be a hazard with a high potential for escalation. The new level implies a reinforcement of security in Jewish communities and close monitoring by intelligence agencies.

First modification: 05/01/2026 - 00:14Last modification: 05/02/2026 - 02:42

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The UK Government declared on April 30 that the country faces an anti-Semitism emergency and pledged to strengthen security for Jewish communities, following a series of arson attacks and a double stabbing that have sparked fear and outrage.

The country's official terror threat level was raised from "substantial" to "severe" following Wednesday's stabbing in London, which police have called a terrorist act with possible links to Iran.

"Serious" is the second highest level on a five-point scale and means that intelligence agencies consider an attack very likely to occur in the next six months.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his Government "will do everything in its power to eradicate this hatred" after two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, were seriously injured in a stabbing in Golders Green, an area of ​​north London that is the epicenter of the British Jewish community. Both are in stable condition.

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However, some members of the community directed their anger at the Government, which they accuse of failing to address anti-Semitism. Starmer was booed by around 100 protesters carrying banners reading "Keir Starmer, Jew persecutor" when he visited Golders Green on Thursday.

The Prime Minister responded by saying: "I completely understand the high levels of anxiety and concern that exist."

"Anti-Semitism is a very, very old hatred. History shows that its roots are deep and that, if you turn your back on it, it grows again," he said during a televised statement from 10 Downing Street. "Yet there are too many people in this country who downplay it."

Police have arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder over the attack. Detectives are working to determine the motive and whether there is any link to Iranian agents.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, had a "history of serious violence and mental health issues," according to police. In 2020, he was referred to the government's Prevent program, which attempts to steer people away from extremism. Police claimed his file was closed later that year and did not reveal the reason for the referral.

Fires, stabbings and growing hatred

The British Jewish community, which numbers around 300,000 people, has faced a rise in attacks both online and on the streets.

The number of reported anti-Semitic incidents across the UK has soared since the offensive by Hamas-led militants against southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the charity Community Security Trust.

In October, an attacker drove his car into a group of people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed a man. Another man died during the attack after being accidentally shot by police.

Since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, a series of arson attacks have occurred at synagogues and other Jewish sites in London, as well as against opponents of the Iranian government.

Police say 28 people have been arrested in connection with those attacks, which caused no injuries. Several of them have been charged and one teenager has been convicted after pleading guilty.

Following Iran's trail

Several arson attacks have been claimed on the Internet in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia.

The Israeli government has described this group, whose name means "Islamic Movement of the Comrades of the Right," as a newly created organization with alleged links to "a pro-Iran group" that has also claimed responsibility for attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands.

An online publication under the same name also took credit for Wednesday's stabbing. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said authorities were investigating whether the claim was credible or "opportunistic."

Security experts say such claims should be treated with caution, but the UK has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to carry out attacks on European soil targeting Iranian opposition media outlets and the Jewish community.

Britain's domestic intelligence service MI5 says more than 20 "potentially lethal" plots backed by Iran were foiled in the year ending October.

The Government said the increased threat level was not only due to the Golders Green attack, but also the increased danger "arising from the Islamist and far-right terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK".

The threat level remained at "severe" for much of the period between 2014 and February 2022, when it was downgraded to "substantial."

Deputy Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit, said: "We are seeing an elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli people and institutions in the UK. We are also facing an unpredictable global situation that has consequences closer to home, including physical threats from state-linked actors."

The Government under pressure

Starmer promised the attacks would receive a "swift and visible" response from the criminal justice system. Mahmood said he is treating anti-Semitism as "an emergency", describing it as the main security problem he faces.

The Government announced £25 million ($34 million) to increase police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centres, and Starmer said courts would speed up sentences for anti-Semitic attacks as a deterrent.

However, some Jews and others say the government has allowed a climate of anti-Semitism to foster.

They claim that the pro-Palestine protests, held regularly since October 2023, have gone beyond criticism of Israel's actions to foster a climate of intimidation and hatred against Jews.

The protests have been largely peaceful, but there are those who claim that slogans such as "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" incite hatred against Jews. Some protesters have been arrested for showing support for Hamas, an organization banned in the UK.

Jonathan Hall, the government's reviewer of anti-terror legislation, called for a temporary ban on pro-Palestinian marches, saying they had contributed to "fomenting" anti-Semitism.

The government has not backed the ban, but Starmer said protesters who used the phrase "globalize the intifada" — seen by some as a call to attack Jews — should be prosecuted.

Starmer said the Government would speed up the granting of powers "to deal with the evil threat posed by states like Iran, because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews".

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