The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, has described a “deeply troubling rise” in antisemitic incidents across the UK, following a knife attack on two Jewish men in north London. He vowed to use the “full force of the law” against perpetrators, stating that antisemitic hate crime is an attack on the values of respect, tolerance and the rule of law.
The warning comes after the UK terrorism threat level was raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”. The change followed an attack in Golders Green on Wednesday, in which Essa Suleiman, 45, is accused of attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76.
In a statement, Mr Parkinson said: “Recent events, including the appalling attack on members of the Jewish community in London, come against a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country. I recognise the profound fear, distress, and anger that many Jewish people and families are experiencing.” He added that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would take a zero-tolerance approach and prosecute offences as aggravated where motivated by hostility based on religion or ethnicity.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also warned of a growing “pandemic” of antisemitism and expressed concern about the sustainability of the force’s approach to protecting Jewish communities. He said he is “very concerned” about the scale of upcoming protests and is considering restrictions on marches, though he noted that banning protests is a matter for Parliament.
Suleiman appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was remanded in custody. The CPS is working closely with police to ensure swift justice, and Mr Parkinson encouraged anyone who has experienced or witnessed antisemitic abuse to report it to the police.
