Suspects Sought in Attempted Arson at North London Synagogue

Police are hunting two suspects after an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in north London. The incident, which has raised concerns about safety in the community, occurred recently, although specific details about the timing and circumstances of the attack have not been disclosed.

A man who tried to break into the Israeli embassy in London carrying knives was a small boat migrant from Kuwait. Abdullah Albadri, 34, is accused of planning a terror attack in Palace Green, Kensington, on April 28 last year, the Old Bailey heard on Wednesday.

Prosecuting said that at just before 6pm, Mr Albadri, armed with two knives and with a red and white scarf wrapped around his head and face, jumped on to an 8ft fence and tried to enter the embassy grounds. Prosecuting said Mr Albadri was "almost successful in his attempt to scale the fence", and that had it not been for the armed diplomatic protection officers there to reach up and grab him, he would have been.

He later told police "that he wanted to send a message, to stop the killing of children, to stop the war", which prosecutors said was a reference to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the court heard. Jurors were told that police officers seized several pieces of paper, including one which "read as a martyrdom note".

Mr Albadri has denied in a prepared statement to police that he was preparing to commit an act of terrorism. He added the knives were intended for "personal use" as he was homeless. The court heard that Mr Albadri first entered the UK in August 2021, arriving at Dover in a small boat from France.

He applied for permission to stay in the country but did not attend an interview with the Home Office. The defendant had left the country but returned on a small boat from France in April 2025. He was provided temporary accommodation and tried to begin the process to apply for permission to stay in the UK, the court heard, however his application for asylum was later rejected.

Prosecuting told the court: "The prosecution say that Mr Albadri’s intention was to use or threaten serious violence against the Israeli government, to exact revenge for its alleged murder of children. "The existence and contents of his suspected martyrdom note, along with his possession of two knives, and material downloaded from his mobile phone, demonstrate his intention to use violence against people inside the Israeli embassy and sacrifice his own life in the process, to die, in his words, 'for the glory of God'.