The National Jewish Assembly condemns in the strongest possible terms the stabbing of two Jewish individuals in Golders Green, an attack subsequently confirmed as a terrorist attack. This is not an isolated incident. It is the latest manifestation of a sustained and escalating pattern of attacks against the Jewish community in London.
In recent weeks, we have seen the arson attack on Hatzolah ambulances, attempted firebombings of Kenton United and Finchley Reform Synagogues, and now Jews being targeted in a violent attack on the street. The trajectory is clear, and it is worsening.
This violence is not occurring in a vacuum. It is unfolding in a climate where aggressive anti Israel demonstrations and openly antisemitic rhetoric are permitted to dominate public spaces week after week. That environment does not just reflect hostility. It legitimises and accelerates it.
At the same time, elements of this rhetoric have been allowed to take root within mainstream politics. Parties such as the Green Party of England and Wales have faced repeated criticism in this regard, contributing to a broader failure to draw clear and consistent lines.
The cumulative effect is an environment in which Jewish people are increasingly unsafe in their own communities. This is a direct consequence of sustained failure by those responsible for maintaining public order and setting political standards. The government can allocate ever increasing sums to security, but money without action is meaningless. It seems that it is obvious to all but those in power that unless the government is prepared to confront the root causes of radicalisation, including the role of extremist Islamist ideology in the normalisation of antisemitic incitement, these attacks will continue.”
Roger Walters, Chairman of the National Jewish Assembly, said:
“How many more warnings does this country need? Jews are being attacked in their neighbourhoods, their places of worship are being targeted, and still the response is hesitation, equivocation and empty words. When does this end? How does it end? What exactly will it take for government and policing to act with the seriousness this moment demands?
Our thoughts are with those targeted in this violent attack and their families, and we pray for their full and swift recovery.
We are not a community asking for special treatment. We are a community asking for basic protection. If that cannot be guaranteed, then we are looking at a profound failure of leadership. The consequences of that failure are already being measured in blood.”
