A man has been charged with assault after two Jewish men were attacked outside a synagogue in north London while attending a religious festival, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Incident Details
Dozens of Jews were gathered outside the Beis Gavriel synagogue in Hendon on Thursday night for the holiday of Shavuot when they were forced to apprehend and restrain an attacker who is said to have started assaulting members of the congregation at random. No one was seriously injured, but one synagogue member told The Mail on Sunday that a man was left with cuts and bruises after he was 'punched in the face, breaking his glasses'.
Charges and Court Appearance
Following the incident, Daniel Nikzamir, 25, from Hendon, was charged with two counts of racially or religiously aggravated assault by beating, one count of assault by beating, racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage, and criminal damage. He pleaded not guilty at Willesden Magistrates Court yesterday.
Daniel Nikzamir is due to appear at Harrow Crown Court in June.
Context of Rising Antisemitism
This attack comes less than a month after two Orthodox Jewish men were stabbed in nearby Golders Green, and just days after another Jewish man was attacked after he was heard speaking Hebrew, also in Golders Green. Police across London have made over 90 hate crime arrests since the end of March, including 70 arrests for antisemitic offences.
Community Reaction
Last night, a spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'This is yet another brutal attack on Jews simply for being Jews. It comes on the heels of stabbings in nearby Golders Green and the beating of a man overheard speaking Hebrew. Scarcely a day now passes without reports of another attack on Jews simply going about their lives.'
They added: 'Jews cannot live like this. The situation is untenable. It is past time for the Government to show leadership by banning the hate marches, tackling the radicalisation of Britain's youth, and proscribing dangerous foreign groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. At the current rate it is a miracle that there has not been another antisemitic murder. The Government is on borrowed time to act.'
Police Response
The Metropolitan Police said that officers arrived at the incident on Thursday in Hendon within 10 minutes and that a man was arrested after being detained by members of the public. Detective Superintendent Will Lexton-Jones, from North West Basic Command Unit, said: 'Incidents of this nature rightly cause concern in the community. We continue to offer support to local residents, particularly to the two men who were victims of this alleged attack.'
