Two Jewish men stabbed in north London as Starmer condemns ‘appalling antisemitic attack’ – latest updates

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Local people in Golders Green have expressed their shock at the attack this morning.

Israel Morgenstein, 48, who has lived in the area for 15 years, said: “I was interviewed by the BBC about four years ago. They asked me, “Are you safe in this neighbourhood?” I said, “Listen, the attack will happen. It’s not a question if, it’s a question [of] when.”

“And unfortunately, it’s the first time something like that happens in our community.”

Members of the Jewish community gather near the scene where two Jewish men were seriously injured after being stabbed in Golders Green, north London. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Ben Grosnass, of Shomrim, a local voluntary organisation on the frontlines for the Orthodox community, said volunteers received panicked phone calls from people at about 11.20am saying “there’s a man running around with a knife on Golders Green Road and Highfield Avenue, stabbing people”.

He added that a team of volunteers attended the scene where they were able to follow and apprehend the attacker alongside police.

“We salute our volunteers for the work that they do,” he said. “They put themselves on the front line every day, 24/7.

“We’ve been around for 17 years. we’re never had funding from the government, and we are extremely stretched, and we would appreciate their assistance for our organisation.”

Stephen Bak, another Shomrim volunteer, said: “We are an organisation which would always run towards danger to protect the community. We’re here always for the community, and nothing will ever stop us. No fear no hate.

“[The attacks] has increased a lot in the past couple of years, but in the past few months our volunteers are really stretched. We’re receiving calls all day, everyday … We just really need further assistance from government.”

Baruch Stern, of Gross Butchers, a shop within the cordoned off area at the crime scene, said the government must take more action against antisemitic attacks and that they were “happening in different areas”.

He repeated that it was “terrible, terrible, terrible”.

He added: “I would say the community is always getting messages from Westminster, encouraging messages, they’ll do this and we’ll do that. But at the end of the day, it would be much more encouraging if they will take the words into action and do something about it.

Members of the Jewish community at the scene in Golders Green. Photograph: Lucy North/PA

“Because when something happens again and again … there is a big question mark here, what’s going on? Why are these things not getting treated a bit more drastically?

“People feel scared. People feel unsafe. People think, is it really the place for me to be here? Is the UK safe for Jewish people, or is it something we need to think about, moving away?”

Israel says UK must act 'decisively and urgently' against antisemitism

Israel’s foreign ministry has urged the UK to act “decisively and urgently” against antisemitism.

In a statement on X, the ministry said:

After attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions, community ambulances and now Jews targeted in Golders Green, the UK government can no longer claim this is under control.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statements are no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism festering across United Kingdom.

British Jews should not need security patrols and emergency volunteers to live openly as Jews.

Enough words. The UK must act decisively and urgently.

More party leaders have reacted to the Golders Green attack.

Green party leader Zack Polanski described it as “horrendous”, adding:

Thinking of the victims, their families and everyone who will once again be shaken by this attack.

Thank you to all of those involved with the emergency response.

Police officers at the scene in Golders Green, north-west London. Photograph: Lucy North/PA

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

Horrifying news from North London.

My heart goes out to the victims, their loved ones and the whole Jewish community. Hatred like this has no place in Britain.

The Government must do more to keep Jewish communities safe and confront antisemitism wherever it appears.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called on the government to treat the rise of antisemitic attacks as a national emergency.

In a statement on social media, she said:

Jewish people in our country are under constant attack.

This is no longer a growing pattern. There is an epidemic of violence against Jewish people.

It is now a national emergency and needs to be treated as such by the Government and public authorities.

A pizza shop worker on Golders Green Road has said he helped an elderly stab victim after he saw him “bleeding” from his neck after he was attacked.

Tariq Aziz, who works at pizza takeaway shop Slice, told the Press Association: “He came to our shop and then I gave him a tissue and helped him, and then police came suddenly and arrest the guy.”

He said the suspect “wasn’t running away” after the attack and that when the police came, he pointed out the suspect as he was “just walking down there with a knife” and “the police arrested him.”

A large police cordon remains in place in Highfield Avenue, Golders Green, north London.

At least five police cars are at the scene and officers are speaking to residents as they leave the cordon.

Among them is Moishe Grunfeld, 52, who told the Press Association: “It happens in Israel, but happening on our own doorstep, of course it’s shocking.

“I have kids, I have grandchildren.”

Asked how he feels following a spate of antisemitic attacks in north London, Grunfeld said: “You push it away, you have to live on.”

The Labour MP for Finchley and Golders Green, Sarah Sackman, said attacks “on British Jews are an attack on Britain itself”, after two men were stabbed in her constituency.

The courts minister said:

I have been made aware of a serious stabbing in Golders Green. The suspect has been detained. I want to thank the vital work of Shomrim, who apprehended the perpetrator; Hatzola, the police and CST (Community Security Trust).

The attacks on British Jews are an attack on Britain itself. It is unconscionable that Jews are being targeted in this way. I am meeting with the home secretary imminently to discuss the urgent situation.

The incident in Golders Green was raised in the Commons by Hornsey and Friern Barnet MP Catherine West.

She said:

The whole House will be very concerned to hear about the dreadful stabbings this morning in the borough of Barnet.

The Labour MP said she was “very worried about this repeated violence against the Jewish community”.

She added:

We condemn these alleged attacks and we wish the police, the council and all the community services the very best in solving this and bringing to justice those perpetrators of these violent crimes.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described the stabbings as “yet another appalling antisemitic attack”.

In a post on X, he said:

This is yet another appalling antisemitic attack. 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.