LONDON (AP) 鈥� The U.K. government said Thursday that the country is facing an antisemitism emergency and pledged to increase security for Jewish communities after a and that have sparked fear and anger among Jews.
The country’s official terror threat level was raised from substantial to severe after Wednesday’s stabbing attack in London, which police have called an act of terrorism with potential links to Iran. Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.
said that his government 鈥渨ill do everything in our power to stamp this hatred out鈥� after two Jewish men, ages 34 and 76, were seriously injured in a stabbing in Golders Green, an area in north London that is an epicenter of Britain’s Jewish community. Both men are in a stable condition.
But some in the community turned their anger on the government, which they say is failing to tackle antisemitism. Starmer was heckled by about 100 protesters holding signs saying 鈥淜eir Starmer, Jew harmer鈥� when he visited Golders Green on Thursday.
The prime minister said in response that 鈥淚 absolutely understand the high levels of anxiety and concern that there are.鈥�
鈥淎ntisemitism is an old, old hatred. History shows that the roots are deep, and if you turn away, it grows back,” he said during a televised statement at 10 Downing St. 鈥淵et far too many people in this country diminish it.鈥�
Police have arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder over the attack. Detectives are working to determine a motive and whether there is any link to Iranian proxies.
The suspect, whose name hasn鈥檛 been released, had 鈥渁 history of serious violence and mental health issues,鈥� police said. In 2020, he was referred to the government鈥檚 Prevent program, which tries to steer individuals away from extremism. The police force said that his file was closed later the same year, and didn’t disclose the reason for the referral.
Stabbing follows arson attacks
Britain鈥檚 Jewish community, which numbers about 300,000 people, has faced growing attacks online and in the streets.
The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent , according to the Community Security Trust charity.
In October, an attacker gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed one man. Another man died during the attack after being .
Since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, there have been a string of arson in London as well as on opponents of the Iranian government.
Police say that 28 people have been arrested over those attacks, which did not cause any injuries. A handful have been charged and one teenager has been convicted after pleading guilty.
Police investigate potential link to Iran proxies
Several arson attacks have been claimed online in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Israel鈥檚 government has described the group, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a recently founded group with suspected links to 鈥渁n Iranian proxy鈥� that has in Belgium and the Netherlands.
An online post under the same name also claimed responsibility for Wednesday鈥檚 stabbing. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that authorities were investigating whether that claim is credible or 鈥渙pportunistic.鈥�
Security experts say its claims should be treated with caution, but the U.K. has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting Iranian and the Jewish community. Britain鈥檚 MI5 domestic intelligence service says that more than 20 鈥減otentially lethal鈥� Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year ending in October.
The government said the increased threat level was not solely a result of the Golders Green attack, but also due to increased danger 鈥渇rom Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the U.K.鈥�
The threat level stood at severe for much of the time between 2014 and February 2022, when it was lowered to substantial.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism policing at the Metropolitan Police, said “we are seeing an elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions in the U.K. We鈥檙e also working against an unpredictable global situation that has consequences closer to home, including physical threats by state linked actors.鈥�
Government under pressure to tackle antisemitism
Starmer pledged that the attacks would bring a 鈥渟wift and visible鈥� criminal justice response. Mahmood said that she’s treating antisemitism as 鈥渁n emergency,鈥� describing it as the top security issue she faced.
The government announced 25 million pounds ($34 million) for more police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centers, and Starmer said that the courts would speed up sentencing on antisemitic attacks as a deterrent.
But some Jews and others say the government has allowed an atmosphere of antisemitism to grow. They say pro-Palestinian protests, held regularly since October 2023, have gone beyond criticism of Israel’s actions to foster an atmosphere of intimidation and hatred against Jews.
The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, but some say chants such as 鈥淔rom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free鈥� incite anti-Jewish hatred. Some protesters have been arrested for displaying support for Hamas, a banned organization in the U.K.
Jonathan Hall, the government鈥檚 reviewer of terrorism legislation, called for pro-Palestinian marches to be temporarily banned, saying they had helped 鈥渋ncubate鈥� antisemitism.
The government hasn’t backed a ban, but Starmer said that protesters who used the phrase 鈥済lobalize the intifada鈥� 鈥� seen by some as a call for attacks on Jews 鈥� should be prosecuted.
Starmer said that the government would fast-track powers 鈥渢o tackle the malign threat posed by states like Iran 鈥� because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews.”
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