POLICE have charged a 45-year-old man over the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London, as the country raised its terror threat level to “severe”.
The Metropolitan Police said Essa Suleiman, of Camberwell in south London, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place. One of the attempted murder charges relates to a separate incident in south London on Wednesday, where Suleiman allegedly had “an altercation” with the occupant of a flat.
The other charges relate to the attack in Golders Green, an area with a large Jewish population. The incident, which took place in daylight, was declared a “terrorist incident”, with Counter Terrorism Policing leading the investigation.
Two men, aged 76 and 34, were treated at the scene for stab wounds and taken to hospital. Police said the 34-year-old has been released, while the 76-year-old remains in a stable condition. Suleiman, a British national born in Somalia who came to the UK as a child, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
“We are determined to get justice for the victims,” Commander Helen Flanagan, who is leading the investigation, said.
“Now that a person has been charged, I would urge everyone to avoid any further speculation in relation to this case so that justice can run its course.”
The attack comes amid concern within Britain’s Jewish community. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who visited the scene and faced boos and heckles, later said in a televised address that people must unite against antisemitism, calling on “everyone decent in this country to open their eyes to Jewish pain, Jewish suffering and Jewish fear”.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said the UK was “facing a building pandemic of antisemitism in society”.
“My problem is what we’re dealing with in policing, we’re dealing with the symptoms of that disease,” he said.
“We need work done upstream to tackle those attitudes in society which are far too prevalent.”
The UK’s terror threat level has been raised from “substantial” to “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely. The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre said the change was not based solely on the Golders Green attack, but reflected a rise in Islamist and extreme right-wing threats from individuals and small groups in the UK.
“Today, the national threat level has increased to 'severe', which means a terrorist attack is considered highly likely,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said.
“I know this will be a source of concern to many, particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much.
“The government has today announced a significant increase in investment to protect our Jewish communities, with record funding for policing and security at synagogues, schools and community centres. And we will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism.”
“As the threat level rises, I urge everyone to be vigilant as they go about their daily lives, and report any concerns they have to the police,” she added.
The government has announced an extra £25 million for protective security at Jewish synagogues, schools, places of worship and community centres.
The latest developments follow a series of incidents targeting Jewish sites, including a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester and arson incidents in north London. Monitoring groups have reported a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain since the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, visited the scene and said authorities had been too “soft” on “discriminatory” chants.
(With inputs from agencies)
