Man arrested after two Jews stabbed in London, as mayor laments ‘shocking attack’

A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Wednesday after two people were stabbed in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood of North London, authorities said.

The mayor of London said the “horrific attack on two Jewish people in London” was part of a “shocking series of anti-semitic attacks” in the British capital, and said police would increase patrols in the area.

The suspect was seen running down the main street in Golders Green, long home to a Jewish community, “armed with a knife and attempting to stab members of the Jewish community,” according to a statement by Shomrim, a community group that runs a volunteer surveillance program.

The group said members “responded immediately and arrested the suspect,” until the police “arrived and deployed a taser” to arrest the suspect.

London’s Metropolitan Police said counter-terrorism officers were leading the investigation and confirmed that one man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. They said that both the deceased are in a satisfactory condition.

The two victims were initially treated by Hatzola, a Jewish emergency response organization, according to Shomrim.

CBS News’ partner the BBC reported that two of the victims were Jewish men who were seriously injured.

Another local group, the Community Security Trust, said on social media that “there was a knife attack today in Golders Green. The suspect has been arrested,” thanking Shomrim, Hatzola and London police for their “quick response.”

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning.”

“There is now a police investigation and I think we all need to do everything we can to support that … and be absolutely clear about our willingness to deal with any of these cases, which we’ve seen a lot of recently,” he said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, in a social media post, confirmed the “horrific attack on two Jewish Londoners in Golders Green.”

“London’s Jewish community has been the victim of an appalling anti-Semitic attack. There must be no place for anti-Semitism in society,” Khan said, adding that police had “increased vigilance in the area.”

This attack comes after several incidents that happened last month targeting Jewish communities north London, including an arson attack he saw many of Hatzola’s ambulances being destroyed in the same place.

After another incident, the attack on a synagogue in northwest London on April 18, the chief rabbi of the UK, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that “the ongoing campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community is increasing.”

Tuesday, after trying to burn In the same area, the head of police in north-west London said: “We know that this incident will increase the anxiety in the area of ​​Golders Green, where residents have already faced a series of attacks.”

“Since the attack on Golders Green last month, we have intensified our work to strengthen communities,” he said. “This includes armed police patrols as well as the deployment of Project Servator officers, who are trained to spot anyone who may be planning or preparing to commit criminal acts.”