Another attempted arson attack at Jewish site in London; Starmer ‘appalled’ by spate of incidents

LONDON – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on April 19 to bring perpetrators of recent arson attacks on Jewish sites in London to justice as Britain’s chief rabbi said “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation” against Jews was accelerating.

The British capital’s Metropolitan Police said it was investigating whether the spate of incidents in north-west London, the latest of which came on the night of April 18, had been carried out by Iranian proxies.

A little-known group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which has links to Iran, has claimed responsibility for many of the recent attacks, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

Mr Starmer said he was “appalled” by the incidents.

“This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain,” the Prime Minister said in a post on social media platform X. “We will not rest in the pursuit of perpetrators.”

Counter-terrorism officers from London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating multiple arson or attempted arson attacks against Jewish properties in Britain’s capital in the past month. Officers have stepped up patrols in areas with large Jewish populations, amid an upsurge in anti-Semitic incidents in Britain.

In the latest incident, a fire caused minor smoke damage to a room at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow on April 18, said the Community Security Trust, which provides safety advice to Jewish groups. No injuries were reported.

A property formerly used by the charity Jewish Futures was targeted in nearby Hendon on the night of April 17.

“A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum,” Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said in a post on X.

“Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society.”

Counter-terrorism police investigating

In a statement, London’s Metropolitan Police said officers on patrol noticed damage to a window of the Kenton synagogue on the night of April 18. “On further inspection, they saw smoke inside a room and evidence that a bottle with some sort of accelerant had been thrown through the window.”

A police statement added that, as with the other recent events, counter-terrorism officers are leading the probe.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the force was considering whether Iran’s “routine” use of criminal proxies was a factor.

“Individuals carrying out these crimes often have no allegiance to the cause and are taking quick cash for their crimes,” she added.

On April 15, police arrested two people over an arson attack on a synagogue in nearby Finchley. In late March, four Jewish community ambulances were torched in Golders Green, also in north London.

HAYI previously claimed similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands. AFP