Police declare terrorist incident after two Jewish men stabbed in London

Two Jewish men have been stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in what has been declared a terrorist incident by police.

The two men, aged 76 and 34, were treated at the scene and are now in a stable condition in hospital, the Metropolitan Police said.

A 45-year-old man was Tasered by police before being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, the force said. The suspect is now in custody and police are "working to establish his nationality and background".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the "antisemitic attack" - the latest in a string in the UK - was "utterly appalling", adding: "Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain."

The Met said its officers responded at 11:16 BST on Wednesday after receiving reports that people had been stabbed in Highfield Avenue, which runs off Golders Green Road.

The suspect also attempted to stab the attending officers, the Met said, but none were injured.

Video shared on social media appears to show the moment of the arrest. Two officers can be seen approaching the man before one Tasers him and he falls to the ground.

The man appears to then hold a sharp object to his chest with both hands, and the officers and a bystander attempt to wrest it from him. The officers can be seen kicking the man in the head several times in the struggle.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley paid tribute to the courage of officers who had made the arrest, saying: "These were not armed officers and they feared he was carrying an explosive device."

The suspect had a history of serious violence and mental health issues, Sir Mark added in a statement at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

Eyewitness Daniela told the BBC that she had been shopping in Golders Green when she heard people screaming: "'He's got a knife, run.'"

The 29-year-old said she took shelter in a nearby bookshop and saw the suspect run past in the direction of the North Circular Road.

"At that point, no one was on the street – everyone had run," she said. "We were a group of mums with buggies. The shop owner locked the door. We were speechless."

CCTV footage appears to show a man lunging at a person standing near a bus stop. In another clip, a man wearing similar clothing can be seen jogging down a street before chasing a passerby.

Sir Keir thanked Shomrim, the Jewish security group whose responders initially detained the suspect, as well as the volunteer-led ambulance service Hatzola and the police, for "acting swiftly".

Shomrim said it dispatched volunteers after receiving a call concerning a man running along Golders Green Road "armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public".

Ben Grossnass, a co-ordinator for the charity, told the BBC that its volunteers "were the first on scene".

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, later formally declared the attack a terrorist incident.

The Met commissioner said his "first thoughts" were with the victims, who had been attacked "whilst going about their daily lives, which they should be able to do freely and safely".

Sir Mark added: "Whilst I can't comment on live investigations, we know that some individuals are being encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organisations and hostile states."

While the Met Police chief spoke, he was heckled by bystanders, who shouted "shame on you" and "you've failed", and calling for his resignation. The local MP, Sarah Sackman, was also heckled.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who represents Britain's largest Jewish community, said the incident "proves that if you are visibly Jewish, you're not safe and far more needs to be done".

"This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country," he said.

Wednesday's attack comes less than a week after a suspected arson attack against a memorial wall in Golders Green, and little over a month since ambulances operated by Jewish medical charity Hatzola were set alight.

A synagogue in Kenton, north London, was petrol-bombed earlier this month, while two Jewish people were killed in a stabbing attack on a synagogue in Manchester in October.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "angry", "appalled" and "disgusted" that Jewish people were "living their lives frightened".

"I've never experienced this level of attacks on Jewish people across our country," he said.

King Charles III was "naturally deeply concerned" by Wednesday's attack, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.

"His thoughts and prayers are with the two individuals who were injured and offers his heartfelt gratitude to those who so selflessly rushed to their aid," they added.

Asked whether his government was doing enough to keep British Jews safe, Sir Keir said he wanted to "look at enhanced security" and increase funding that was already in place for protecting Jewish communities.

He added that measures "to deal with malign state actors" were also needed. Several previous antisemitic attacks have been linked to unfriendly regimes.

The prime minister's comments came after he chaired an emergency cabinet meeting concerning the attack with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, among others.

Earlier, Mahmood said the governmentwould provide "an enhanced police presence that will continue", adding: "We will strain every sinew to keep our Jewish community safe."

Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch said there was now "an epidemic of violence against Jewish people" that had become "a national emergency".

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the attack was "abhorrent, appalling, but sadly now totally unsurprising", adding: "It is open season on Jewish people in this country."