UK terrorism threat level ‘severe’ with ‘elevated’ threat level to Jewish people
The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe”, following the attack in Golders Green when two Jewish men were stabbed in the street. Both are being treated in hospital and the suspected attacker is under arrest for attempted murder. The revised threat level means that an attack is highly likely in the next six months. Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “The UK has been experiencing a gradual increase in terrorist threats for some time, driven by a rise in both Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorism. Our casework is increasing across a number of ideologies and within that we are seeing an elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions in the UK.”
Keir Starmer jeered before unveiling new measures against antisemitism
The Prime Minister was jeered and heckled by angry and fearful members of the Jewish community in Golders Green when he visited yesterday morning, with a crowd holding banners saying “Keir Starmer – Jew Harmer”.
Later he met Jewish community leaders and ministers at Number Ten. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies, told Times Radio that they had forthright discussions with the government, which he said had not acted fast enough in the past: “Rather than protection, we need prevention. Rather than defence, we need attack. We need to get on the front foot against these people who are poisoning our society. Our community is angry and it’s anxious, not just for itself, but for the society we live in. We love this country and we see it being torn apart by extremists and racists. And we need to see that checked by the government, yes, by police, yes, but by society as a whole as well”.
After this, the Prime Minister announced tougher measures to stamp out antisemitism. Those who chant “globalise the intifada” will be prosecuted as this is “extreme racism”. Marching alongside people wearing pictures of paragliders, used by Hamas on the 7 October attack, is “venerating the murder of Jews”. Hate preachers will be prevented from entering Britain and there will be strong measures against the “malign influence of states like Iran”. He urged “everyone decent in this country to open their eyes to Jewish pain, Jewish suffering, and Jewish fear”.
Golders Green and Jewish communities respond
Shloime Rand, the 34-year-old victim of the Golders Green stabbings, spoke to journalists from his hospital bed, saying he had been stabbed in the chest but was recovering well: “I am here and I can talk, and it’s really a miracle that has happened to me today. I feel like God’s given me back my life”.
Rabbi Shraga Feivel Zimmerman, senior rabbi of the Federation of Synagogues and engaged with the community in Golders Green, told the BBC that the initial reaction to the stabbings in the local area was shock, and the next reaction was gratitude that the victims were not killed.
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, rabbi of the New North London synagogue, said: “Jewish life is continuing, the community is nothing if not resilient and we take strength from our community and our togetherness. There’s a sense of vulnerability, a sense of frustration, the sense of what seems like a co-ordinated campaign to target the Jewish community”.
Reporters gauging opinions of the Jewish community in the UK have been told that many are thinking of leaving the UK and many think the security situation is out of control. One told the BBC he is about to move to Israel saying: “I don’t feel safe walking down the street. I have to look over my shoulder…. I can’t live in it”.
Raphi Bloom, of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, said: “We’re feeling scared and exhausted but we’re also feeling abandoned and betrayed and let down by our government.” He said he takes his seven year old grandson to school every day: “He has to walk through three large gates, two banks of security guards, and regularly undergo drills to get under a desk in the event of a bomb attack.”
Rabbi Charley Baginsky, co-lead of Progressive Judaism in the UK, told Channel 4 news that more needs to be done to make the Jewish community in the UK feel safe. She said security at events, schools and synagogues is the reality of life for Jewish people in the UK, but now there is a feeling that no security is adequate to keep people safe. Many would have appreciated the Prime Minister’s comments being made much earlier and she believed he hadn’t been tough enough on tackling the impact of language arising from the Israel / Gaza war, on Jewish people in the UK: “Jews have a right not to be impacted by global events”. She said emotions are resurfacing of a people under threat and the need to be ready to move.
Catholic response to the attack
The Archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth, said: “We must stand together against all those who promote hatred and violence against any person because of their faith”.
The Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley, who is also chair of the church’s department for dialogue and unity, issued a statement saying: “The targeting of the Jewish community is abhorrent. This is a stark call for all members of society to consider seriously how we may counter the alarming rise in antisemitism which is tearing at the fabric of our society.”
Interfaith walk for peace through Golders Green
Muslim and Jewish women joined in a march of solidarity through Golders Green yesterday evening, reported by the Jewish Chronicle. One of the organisers, Julie Siddiqi, who is Muslim, said these moments of violence seem to be coming more often and it was important to show solidarity, standing and walking together. The JC reports that she told the group: “We just have to remember there are so many more people like us than not, living here, living all over the country. The loud, angry, divisive hatred is not the majority. We have to keep reminding ourselves of that as otherwise, we can feel hopeless and helpless.” The other organiser, Dr Lindsay Simmonds, who is Jewish, told the BBC that the march allowed ordinary people who are most impacted by violent acts, to come together with their friends and colleagues across the religious divide, to stand together.
Drumlanrig Accord Muslim signatories condemn Golders Green attack
Muslim leaders who signed the Drumlanrig Accords, recommending a process for future good relations between Muslims and Jews in the UK, have “utterly condemned” the attack in Golders Green. Led by the Chief Imam of Scotland, Dr. Sayed Razawi, they issued a statement re-affirming their commitment to reconciliation and said incidents which create fear, undermine safety and cohesion in society. Their statement says: “We stand firmly against antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of hatred and extremism. We reaffirm our shared commitment to protecting the dignity, safety and religious freedom of every community. It is important that communities respond with unity, responsibility, and a shared commitment to mutual respect and social cohesion.” Jewish News reports that Shabir Randeree, chair of the British Muslim Trust, issued a statement saying: “The Trust stands in total solidarity with the Jewish community. The hatred and violence directed towards British Jews is the opposite of everything this country stands for”.
Fire at Jewish school and synagogue building in Stamford Hill
Emergency services were called to a fire yesterday at Mesivta Yeshiva Building in Stamford Hill, with flames and smoke visible nearby. It is close to Jewish community buildings, including Simon Marks Jewish Primary School, in an area with one of the largest Orthodox Jewish populations in the UK. The cause of the blaze is unknown but it is not thought to have been started deliberately.
Other news
Regional consultations considering future of Interfaith work in England
Regional consultations are underway around the future of interfaith work in England. In November 2025, 40 interfaith organisations and faith representative bodies met to gauge the overall state of health of the interfaith sector, in light of the closure of the Inter Faith Network and other pressures. They discussed whether any initiatives needed to be taken to promote its flourishing and a working party was set up to hold regional consultations in England to consider future actions. These began last week and will continue until June. Many groups engaged in interfaith dialogue contributed to a report last year, Bursting the Bubble, which outlined the positive advantages of their work. There is an ambition not to lose progress or understanding developed over decades. Warwick Hawkins of Faith in Society is the secretary for the consultation.
Petition to ensure next Bishop of London supports women’s ordination
The movement Women and the Church,WATCH, has launched apetition campaigning for the next Bishop of London to be in favour of women’s ordination. It says: “We do not want a bishop who does not ordain women as priests or recognise the spiritual authority of female bishops – including the Archbishop of Canterbury! Such a bishop would be a sign of division rather than unity. We would not accept his authority.” It says that appointing a man opposed to women’s ordination would “undermine the authority of female clergy in the diocese” and erode trust and confidence for clergy and churchgoers. It is also calling for a vote in synod and a change to the church’s “five guiding principles”, to ensure no opponent of women’s ordination is ever again appointed to any diocese. It says around five per cent of the Church of England opposes women’s ordination and criticises the church’s failure to act on earlier recommendations to review the system.
US Methodist pastor campaigns to run as Democrat senator in Kansas
The Rev Adam Hamilton, pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, has launched a campaign for the Democratic nomination for the state’s US Senate seat. He is 61 and has led the church for 35 years, building a congregation of 22,000 members. The Associated Press reports that the seat has been held by the Republicans since 1932, but the pastor was persuaded to stand saying: “Every week, it seemed there was another news story in the last year where I would find myself shaking my head and thinking, we have to do better”. The article points out that in Texas, the Democrat candidate for the Senate is James Talarico, a Presbyterian minister in training.
Africa is ‘vital to the future of Catholicism’
The Guardian reports on the significance of the Pope’s visit to Africa, which has seen a growth in Catholic membership accounting for more than half of the annual growth of the global church. Pontifical Mission Societies. Father Ambroise Tine, secretary general of the diocese of Thiès in Senegal, is quoted sayiing that Africa is the demographic future and intellectual and spiritual engine of the worldwide Catholic church. The article suggests: “There is a striking irony in the fact that, in some western countries, preserving Christianity is tied to far-right messaging about race and immigration, but church attendance and affiliation are propped up by Black diaspora worshippers from Africa and the Caribbean”. Article is here.
Monk vanishes from reclusive order on a Scottish island
The Telegraph reports on a monk who has gone missing from a reclusive monastery on the Orkney island of Papa Stronsay. Brother Ignatius, a 24 year old New Zealander, disappeared on 12 April. Police and coastguards have searched the coastline, sea and neighbouring islands, but no trace has been found. The article explains that the “Transalpine Redemptorists” order was founded by Father Michael Mary in 1988 in opposition to Vatican II. He is now the vicar general and has moved the order from Sheppey in Kent, to France and now Papa Stronsay, with monasteries in New Zealand and Montana developed along the way. Various controversies and claims against the order are reported. There are 350 residents on the island, but they say the monks keep themselves to themselves. Story is here.
