The knife attack took place in London on Wednesday. It was committed by a 45-year-old British citizen born in Somalia, who stabbed two Jews near a synagogue in the Golders Green district in northwest London. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who later visited the district, described the attack as anti-Semitic and appalling.
According to the British police, the man was led in the government’s program for the prevention of radicalization, which tries to divert individuals from extremism. In 2020, he was examined as part of this program. The police did not specify what the reason for the initiative was. She already stated on Wednesday that the suspect has a history of serious violent acts and mental health problems.
Mahmood said that the increase in the terrorism warning level reflects a wider and increasingly dangerous environment, and not a single incident.
The current threat level meant that a terrorist attack was likely in the next six months. Newly, the JTAC anti-terrorist analysis center considers it highly probable, which represents the second highest level of threat out of five. On Wednesday, the police described the attack on two Jews in London as a terrorist act.
“The money will go towards greater security of our synagogues, Jewish prayer rooms, schools and community centers,” Mahmood said earlier in a Sky News broadcast to strengthen the protection of the Jewish community. After the increase, the budget intended for the protection of the Jewish community in Britain will reach 58 million pounds (1.6 billion crowns), Reuters wrote.
Is the government to blame?
About a hundred protesters with banners with the slogan “Keir Starmer is hurting Jews” were waiting for the Prime Minister when he visited Golders Green. Many argue that the government has allowed anti-Semitism to intensify, which they say has been rampant at pro-Palestinian protests held regularly since October 2023.
According to critics, these often went beyond criticism of Israel. Former government expert on anti-terrorism laws, Jonathan Hall, called for a temporary ban on pro-Palestinian parades because, according to him, they contribute to the growth of anti-Semitism in the country.
Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch supported the call for such a ban. According to her, the marches are used as a cover for violence and intimidation of Jews. The government does not support the ban on demonstrations, but has promised to prepare laws to prosecute “individuals and groups acting on behalf of state-sponsored organizations.”
Today, Starmer promised that his government would “do everything in its power to stamp out this hatred (of Jews)”. “Anti-Semitism is a very old hatred. History shows that the roots are deep and if you pull them out, they grow back,” he said during a televised statement from Downing Street. “Yet too many people in this country make light of it,” added the prime minister.
