Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old man born in Somalia, has been charged with attempted murder following a stabbing attack in Golders Green, north-west London, the Metropolitan Police confirmed. The incident occurred on Wednesday, leaving two Jewish men injured. Suleiman faces three counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place.
The victims, Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, were attacked on Highfield Avenue and taken to hospital. Rand has since been discharged and is recovering at home, while Shine remains in hospital in a stable condition. The Crown Prosecution Service said the third attempted murder charge relates to another man attacked on the same day at a different location, but no further details were provided.
Suleiman was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing for London, urged the public to avoid speculation to allow justice to proceed. She stated, 'Our thoughts remain with the victims involved, and specialist officers continue to provide them with support as their recovery continues.'
Suleiman arrived in the UK legally as a child in the 1990s. He was reported to Prevent, the government's anti-extremism programme, in 2020, but the case was closed later that year. Following the attack, the UK's terrorism threat level was raised to 'severe' by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, indicating an attack is considered highly likely. The Home Office noted that the decision was not based solely on the Golders Green attack, as the threat level had been rising for some time.
The Metropolitan Police said pro-Palestine marches across the country would be assessed in light of the change. The Stop the War Coalition is planning a large demonstration in London on 16 May to mark Nakba Day, commemorating the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel.
