The suspect arrested in connection with the double stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green has been identified as Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old British national of Somali heritage. According to sources, Suleiman was born in February 1981 and came to the UK as a child. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley confirmed that the suspect has a history of “serious violence” and mental health issues.
Suleiman was referred to the government’s counter-terrorism Prevent scheme in 2020, but his case was closed the same year, police have stated. The attack, which took place on Wednesday in the north-west London suburb, is being treated as terrorism. Officers have been in discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding potential charges.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the area on Thursday and called on the public to “open their eyes to Jewish pain.” He accused those marching alongside Hamas supporters of “venerating the murder of Jews” and said new powers were necessary to protect the Jewish community, stressing the attack was “not a one-off.” His presence was met with heckling from the Stop the Hate protest group, with one individual branding him a “traitor” for failing to ensure Jewish safety.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned that “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient,” a sentiment echoed by former Prime Minister Theresa May, who wrote on X that more must be done to protect the Jewish community. London Mayor Sadiq Khan stated that “Jewish Londoners understandably and rightly want to see more action, not words,” and announced a surge in policing in Barnet, with additional deployments planned for the coming month.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who also visited Golders Green, said the community felt the government was not doing enough, adding, “You could feel the fear that was on the streets.” John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, described British Jews as being at “breaking point,” while Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, called for a pause in pro-Palestinian protests, arguing that “demonisation of Jews… will lead to a terrorist attack.”
Several leading UK imams, including the chief Imam of Scotland, have issued a joint statement to “utterly condemn” the attack, signing alongside Jewish leaders as part of the Drumlanrig Accord.
