UK Raises Terror Threat Level After Stabbing Attack
Britain elevated its official terror threat level to severe following a stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London, amid a surge in antisemitic incidents. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for tougher action against certain chants at pro-Palestinian protests. Police described the attack as terrorism and charged a 45-year-old man with attempted murder.
Linda Tanner / Wikimedia (CC BY 2.0)Britain raised its official terror threat level from substantial to severe following a stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London's Golders Green neighborhood, which police classified as an act of terrorism. The elevation to severe, the second-highest level on a five-point scale, indicates that intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that tougher action is needed against people chanting certain phrases at pro-Palestinian protests. He said he would always defend the right to protest but indicated there may be instances where some marches protesting the war in Gaza should be banned.
“When you see, when you hear some of those chants — ‘globalize the intifada’ would be one I would pick out — then clearly there should be tougher action in relation to that,” Starmer told the BBC. In an interview broadcast on Saturday, Starmer added that banning some pro-Palestinian marches could be justified, especially when they call for the intifada to spread.
The stabbing occurred on Wednesday in Golders Green, home to a large Jewish community, where two Jewish men were wounded.
A 45-year-old man was charged on Friday with attempted murder in connection with the attack. A 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia was remanded in custody after the Golders Green stabbing.
It followed recent arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in London. Mark Rowley, head of the Metropolitan Police, warned on Friday that British Jews are facing their greatest ever threat. Rowley said social media is making antisemitism more mainstream than before.
“The ghastly fact is that Jews are on everybody’s list, all of those hateful groups, whether you’re extreme right, whether you’re extreme left, whether you’re Islamist terrorist, whether you’re right-wing terrorist, and some hostile states as well now with some sort of Iranian-related threats. There’s a ghastly Venn diagram that they’re at the middle of,” Rowley told The Times.
Has increased since the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza. The Community Security Trust charity recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
6 events- 2026-05-02
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned of tougher action against certain chants at pro-Palestinian protests and suggested some marches could be banned.
3 sourcesThe Independent · South China Morning Post · Keir Starmer - 2026-05-01
A 45-year-old man charged with attempted murder after Golders Green stabbing; Mark Rowley warned of greatest threat to British Jews; terror threat level raised to severe.
2 sourcesThe Independent · Mark Rowley - 2026-04-29
Two Jewish men stabbed and wounded in Golders Green, London, in an attack police called terrorism.
3 sourcesThe Independent · South China Morning Post · Police - Recent weeks
Arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in London.
1 sourceThe Independent - 2025
Community Security Trust recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents in the U.K., up from 1,662 in 2022.
1 sourceCommunity Security Trust - 2023-10-07
Attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel, followed by war in Gaza, leading to increased antisemitic incidents in the U.K.
1 sourceCommunity Security Trust
Potential Impact
- 01
Increased security measures for Jewish communities in the U.K. following the terror threat elevation.
- 02
Broader policy discussions on balancing protest rights with public safety amid rising antisemitism.
- 03
Potential bans on specific pro-Palestinian marches if they involve certain chants, affecting protest rights.
- 04
Heightened police scrutiny of social media for antisemitic content, as warned by Mark Rowley.
- 05
Possible further arrests related to recent arson attacks on Jewish sites.
Transparency Panel
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