Golders Green residents and members of the wider Jewish community in Britain have expressed shock and grief following a suspected antisemitic stabbing attack on a north London street. Two men were injured, prompting calls for stronger action to protect Jewish people.
Community Reaction
Baruch Stern, of Gross Butchers, located behind the police cordon, said: “People feel scared, people feel unsafe. People think, is it really the place for me to be here? Is the UK safe for Jewish people, or is it something we need to think about, moving away?” The stabbings are feared to be the latest in a string of incidents targeting Jewish schools, synagogues, and charities over recent months.
Stern added that the community receives encouraging messages from Westminster, but “it would be much more encouraging if they would take the words into action and do something about it.”
Details of the Attack
The incident occurred shortly after 11am on Golders Green Road. A 45-year-old suspect was arrested after allegedly running along the street carrying a knife and targeting Jewish people. When stopped by police, he reportedly tried to stab officers and was stun-gunned before being taken into custody. Two victims, one in his 70s and another in his 30s, are in a stable condition in hospital.
Police helicopters circled overhead as officers sealed off a busy stretch of shops, including a butcher, hairdresser, and pharmacy. A large crowd, predominantly Orthodox Jewish community members including young students, gathered near the cordon. Police and volunteers from the British Jewish emergency response moved among onlookers and shopkeepers, while residents struggled to reach their homes.
Voices from the Community
Dov Forman, a 22-year-old student at King’s College London, said he rushed to the scene after seeing WhatsApp messages about the attack. “No one finds this shocking any more. We all knew this was coming. It was never a question of if there would be another attack, only when. Ultimately we are demanding more action today.” He added that many Jews are frightened, and it is sad that grandchildren of Holocaust survivors are questioning whether they can continue living in the UK.
Jacob Lipsy, 35, a construction worker born and raised in Golders Green, said his brother tried to chase the attacker. He described the area as “getting more hostile” and worried for his children. “Politicians should take more responsibility in their narrative. This is genuinely previously quite a safe area. As for the future, we’ll be OK living in a bubble. As soon as you exit that bubble, that’s when things happen.”
Israel Morgenstein, 48, a 15-year resident, said: “We are thinking now that maybe it’s time to go home. We don’t feel safe. I believe the police are doing an amazing job, but I don’t think they are trained to deal with such situations.”
Broader Concerns
Sam Adler, 37, a property developer, said: “This doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When you allow antisemitism to be normalised, when you allow mobs to march through London week after week, and when you create an atmosphere where hatred towards Jews is tolerated, this is exactly where it leads.” He added that the community will carry on, but there is anger and a feeling that the government is encouraging this.
The Right Rev Dr Anderson Jeremiah, the bishop of Edmonton, who lives in Golders Green, said he had been walking in the same street only an hour before the stabbings. “I am deeply shocked and saddened that yet again two of our Jewish neighbours have been targeted and stabbed by an individual driven by hatred and violence. The fact that such an atrocity has occurred in our community is devastating.”
