Chief Rabbi Declares British Jews Will Not Be Cowed After Ambulance Arson Attack
Britain's Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has delivered a defiant message following an overnight arson attack on four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community ambulance service, Hatzola, in Golders Green, north-west London. Visiting the scene on Monday, Sir Ephraim insisted that while the incident has left people shocked and saddened, the community will not be terrorised or intimidated and will continue living as proud British citizens.
Attack on Community Ambulance Service
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday on Highfield Road, targeting vehicles used by the Jewish Community Ambulance service. No injuries have been reported, but the incident has heightened concerns within a community already grappling with rising antisemitism. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation, with the Metropolitan Police treating it as an antisemitic hate crime, though it has not yet been classed as terrorism.
Sir Ephraim described the response to this latest incident as one of strength, fortitude, and resilience. He stated: We're not going to be cowed. We're not going to be intimidated by terrorists, and this was a terrorist attack. Nothing's going to stop us from standing tall as Jews and behaving in a way, according to our tradition, as proud British citizens.
Alarming Hate Crime Statistics
This attack comes against a backdrop of escalating antisemitic incidents across the UK. According to the latest official figures from the Home Office, Jewish people experienced the highest rate of religious hate crimes per population among faith groups in England and Wales. In the year to March 2025, there were 106 religious hate crimes per 10,000 population targeted at Jewish individuals.
Separate data from the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism, recorded 3,700 anti-Jewish hate incidents in 2025, marking a 4% increase from the 3,556 incidents in 2024. This represents the second-highest annual total ever recorded, with the record high remaining at 4,298 incidents in 2023 following the October 7 attack. Notably, 2025 was the first year with more than 200 cases of anti-Jewish hate recorded in every calendar month.
Community Resilience Amid Vulnerability
The CST report highlighted that dozens of antisemitic incidents were reported after the deadly Manchester synagogue attack in October last year, which claimed the lives of worshippers Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby. This was the first fatal antisemitic terror attack in the UK since the CST began recording incidents in 1984.
Sir Ephraim lamented that synagogues, schools, and other Jewish facilities can now only function behind walls, behind gates. He expressed gratitude for government-provided security but emphasised: You can never have too much security – the more we get, the better.
Echoing this sentiment, CST chief executive Mark Gardner noted there is a lot more resolve than you might expect from British Jews all across the country. He attributed this to the experiences since the October 2023 Hamas attack, stating that British Jews are determined to lead their chosen lives while taking necessary precautions. Gardner revealed that some individuals feel compelled to be cautious about using their names when booking taxis or worry about hospital treatment if their Jewish identity is known, impacting their dignity.
Broader Concerns and Community Voices
Earlier this month, arrests were made of individuals suspected of spying for Iran on locations and people linked to the British Jewish community. Gardner criticised the muted reaction from the media and political activist groups, contrasting it with the likely response if Israeli agents had been arrested in similar circumstances involving British Muslims.
Damon Hoff, president of Machzike Hadath synagogue where the ambulances were parked, acknowledged the community is feeling vulnerable and frightened but vowed not to be brought down. Meanwhile, local resident and antisemitism campaigner Dov Forman, great-grandson of Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, warned that young Jewish people are leaving the country due to safety concerns, a trend this attack may exacerbate.
Despite these challenges, the Chief Rabbi's message remains clear: the Jewish community will stand tall, refusing to be cowed by acts of terror and hatred, while continuing to contribute proudly to British society.
