Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Stabbings of Two Jewish Men in London

A 45-year-old man was charged with attempted murder in the stabbings of two Jewish men in London's Golders Green neighborhood, an area with a large Jewish population. Police identified the suspect as Essa Suleiman, a Somalia-born British citizen living in London.

He faces two counts related to the Golders Green incident and a third count for an earlier attack that day leaving another man with minor injuries. Suleiman appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was remanded into custody without entering a plea.

His case was transferred to the Central Criminal Court for a hearing on May 15. Police labeled the Golders Green attack an act of terrorism.

The stabbings occurred on Wednesday in Golders Green, seriously injuring victims aged 34 and 76. One victim has been discharged from the hospital, while the other remains in stable condition. An earlier incident elsewhere in the city that day resulted in minor injuries to a third man.

Police stated that Suleiman was referred to the government’s Prevent program in 2020, aimed at steering individuals away from extremism. His file was closed later that year, with no disclosed reason for the referral.

The British government pledged to address antisemitism following the attack. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the government would increase security for the Jewish community.

“[We will] do everything in our power to stamp this hatred out.”

Britain raised its official terror threat level from substantial to severe after the incident. This level indicates that intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months. The government attributed the change to increased risks from Islamist and extreme right-wing threats, not solely to this attack.