Former soldiers have been recruited to safeguard synagogues and Jewish schools across the United Kingdom, following a distressing wave of anti-Semitic attacks that have left British Jews feeling vulnerable. Jewish institutions have historically depended on volunteers or standard security guards, but it has now come to light that they are utilising the services of a private contractor supplied by the Community Security Trust (CST). The CST, which protects British Jews and distributes Home Office funding, primarily hires its staff from the armed forces, including elite fighting units within the Royal Navy and the British Army.
It is believed that these veterans were deployed to temporarily secure Jewish synagogues and schools after the Heaton Park synagogue attack in Manchester in October, which tragically resulted in the deaths of two worshippers. With the ongoing conflict in Iran exacerbating hostility towards British Jews, these former soldiers have been assigned to patrol areas in north London and Manchester. Since the eruption of the conflict, Tehran has claimed responsibility for a number of incidents targeting Jews in the UK, including an arson attack on a fleet of Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green and at least two synagogues in Finchley and Kenton that were targeted in failed petrol bombings.
The most recent incident, labelled as a terror attack by the Metropolitan Police, occurred on Wednesday when a man stabbed two Jewish individuals in broad daylight in Golders Green. Essa Suleiman, 45, who had previously been referred to the government's anti-terror scheme Prevent, is accused of attacking Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76 in this north London neighbourhood. Shloime Rand was discharged from hospital on Thursday, while Moshe Shine left hospital on Saturday morning. Suleiman is also accused of attempting to murder Ishmail Hussein, whom he had known for 20 years, in a knife attack at Hussein's flat in Southwark, south London, earlier on the same day. Additionally, he faces a charge of possessing a knife in a public place in Golders Green. Brave volunteers from the Shorim security charity attempted to challenge Suleiman before police officers Tasered and arrested him.
The UK's terror threat level was raised to severe following the stabbing, indicating that terror attacks on British soil are now considered 'highly likely'. The government stated that the increase was 'not solely' a result of the attack, adding that the threat level had been rising 'for some time'. Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted over whether police officers at the scene used 'proportionate force' to arrest the suspect. Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, was criticised last week for endorsing claims on social media that Metropolitan Police officers were heavy-handed after three people were stabbed, earning a public rebuke from Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Mr Polanski issued an apology for the timing of his actions on Friday night but doubled down on his questioning of the police's actions in media interviews today. He told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuennsberg that he was 'concerned by what he saw and remains concerned' by videos of the arrest. He added that 'people who are being brave should not be above scrutiny' and criticised Sir Mark for intervening publicly, saying: 'Open letters aren't an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election.'
In a wide-ranging set of interviews, he also defended pro-Palestinian marches through London, stating that they do not make British Jews any more 'unsafe'. He argued that accusations of the marches being hotbeds of anti-Semitism were a 'distortion' and that people, including Jews like himself, have the right to march to protest against the bloodshed in Gaza. This came after Sir Keir Starmer lashed out at chants of 'globalise the intifada', amid concerns about the growing threat to British Jews. The Prime Minister also suggested he wanted to see 'tougher action' against people using certain phrases at Gaza demonstrations but stopped short of agreeing with calls for a ban on the marches.
