Starmer told to tackle ‘pandemic’ of antisemitism after two Jewish men stabbed in terror attack

Sir Keir Starmer has been told he must tackle the “epidemic” of antisemitic attacks in Britain after two Jewish men were brutally stabbed by a knifeman in a terror attack in London.

Disturbing CCTV footage captured the moment a man wearing a white T-shirt and dark jacket launched an unprovoked attack on an elderly man wearing a kippah, the Jewish skullcap, near a bus stop in Golders Green, north London.

Eyewitnesses said the alleged attacker suddenly pulled out a knife and attacked the man at around 11.15am on Wednesday morning, then walked away and left his victim bleeding from his neck. Later footage shows the knife-wielding man running to catch up with another Jewish man who screams in terror and runs away.

He then allegedly tried to stab members of the public who tried to stop him before attacking police officers who tasered him before being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Responding to the attack, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded action to protect Jews, while lashing out at the UK’s response to a series of recent antisemitic incidents, warning that “words are not enough to confront this scourge”.

The two victims of the latest incident, named online by Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis as Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila, aged 76 and 34, are in a stable condition in hospital following the attack on Highfield Avenue. Counter-terrorism police have officially declared the incident a terrorist incident, following a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in north London.

Specialist Assistant Commissioner for Operations Laurence Taylor confirmed investigators were working with the security services on the investigation, adding: “One of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeted at London’s Jewish community.”

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said in a statement from the scene that the man in police custody had a serious history of violence and mental health problems.

Faced with chants of “shame on you” and calls for resignation from angry members of the public, he said it was “another horrific act of violence against our Jewish communities.”

But he defended the Met’s response to rising antisemitism and praised his officers’ actions as “nothing short of extraordinary” after they captured a suspected terrorist who they believed was carrying explosives “using only their training, courage and stun guns”.

He vowed to continue by increasing patrols in Jewish communities, adding: “Too many Jews in this country feel they have to make choices that no other Britain has to make. They have to make choices about how to dress, where to go or how visibly they live their lives. This is completely unacceptable and has gone on for too long.”

Although he said he could not comment on ongoing investigations into recent events, he added: “We know that some individuals have been encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organizations and hostile states.”

Jewish leaders condemned the latest incident, with the prime minister holding a Cobra meeting on the “deeply worrying” attack, while home affairs minister Shabana Mahmood vowed the government would “strain every nerve” to keep Jewish people safe.

The scene is about a half-mile from the memorial wall where the arson attempt took place on Monday and close to where four Jewish community ambulances were destroyed by fire in late March. A synagogue in Manchester was also attacked in October last year; Worshipers Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz lost their lives.

“After attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions, community ambulances and now targeted Jews in Golders Green, the UK government can no longer claim to have this under control,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a post on X. “Enough words. The UK must act decisively and urgently.”

Debbie Fox, executive director of the Jewish Leadership Council, said of the increase in attacks: “This is not just a surge or an increase. This is becoming an epidemic.”

He added: “It’s a feeling of dread. There’s a pit in my stomach that’s there every day. Most of us wake up every morning and our first thought is when and where, but not whether.”

Sir Ephraim called for “meaningful action” and said it was time for “the silent majority in the UK to speak out against antisemitism”.

He added: “Words of condemnation are no longer enough following the anti-Semitic stabbing of two Jews on the streets of Golders Green this morning.

“This must be a moment that requires meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country. This is a hatred that we must confront together.”

Ben Grossnass, a volunteer with the emergency response unit of Shomrim, a volunteer-run security service in Jewish communities, was among the first on the scene.

“I saw a big shock on the street and the attacker was doing CPR, I think he had a heart attack after the shock,” he said.

“There is so much hate and antisemitism in society. There are ways for the government to prevent this, and it’s time for them to do so.”

Pizza shop worker Tarik Aziz helped an elderly victim who was bleeding from his neck. He said the suspect “didn’t run away” and when police arrived he pointed out the suspect was “just walking towards there with a knife.”

According to Home Office figures published in October, 106 religious hate crimes per 10,000 people targeted Jews by March 2025.

Separate figures from the Community Security Trust (CST) recorded the number of anti-Semitic hate incidents rising from 3,556 in 2024 to 3,700 in 2025, the second highest number.

CST, which tracks antisemitism in the UK, said the record high stood at 4,298 antisemitic incidents in 2023, the year of the October 7 attack, leading to a spike in recorded incidents of anti-Semitic hate in the UK.

Buckingham Palace said the King was fully briefed on developments in the attack and his “thoughts and prayers” were with the victims.