UK Adviser Calls Antisemitism National Security Emergency

The UK government's independent adviser on terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, stated that attacks on Jewish people in the UK represent the biggest national security emergency in almost a decade. He told BBC News that British Jews are now thinking they cannot live a normal life due to recent incidents targeting Jewish communities.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government treats the rise in antisemitic attacks as an absolute priority but does not agree that it constitutes a national emergency. She explained that the term national emergency implies changes to democracy and the disapplication of some democratic elements, which she does not believe applies currently.

Wednesday, two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in an incident police declared as terrorism. The victims were identified locally as Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76. A 45-year-old British national, who came to the UK from Somalia as a child, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The government announced an additional £25 million in funding for increased police patrols and security in Jewish communities. This funding will support protections around synagogues, schools, and community centers.

Mirvis, the UK's chief rabbi, stated that the attack shows that visibly Jewish people are not safe and that more needs to be done to address the root causes of antisemitism. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council issued a joint statement saying they were sickened by the attack and that while security measures are essential, they are not the full answer.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the frequent attacks on Jewish communities as shameful and agreed that the situation amounts to a national emergency. He stated that words from the government are no longer enough. Labour MP Sarah Sackman, who represents Finchley and Golders Green, said the attack demonstrates that threats to Jewish people in the UK are real.

She noted that when taking her children to synagogue, she holds their hands tighter, and she knows she is not alone in that. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement calling on the British government to do more to protect the Jewish community, referencing weakness in the face of repeated antisemitic attacks.

Wednesday's attack follows several incidents targeting Jewish communities in recent months. On 27 April 2026, a suspected arson attack occurred at a memorial wall in Golders Green containing tributes to victims of the Iranian regime and the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

On 18 April 2026, a bottle containing an accelerant was thrown through the window of Kenton United Synagogue in north-west London. On 17 April 2026, suspicious items, later found to be non-hazardous, were discovered near the Israeli embassy in London, accompanied by a social media video claiming an impending drone attack.

On 15 April 2026, a brick and two bottles thought to contain petrol were thrown at the Finchley Reform Synagogue in north London. On 23 March 2026, four Jewish charity-owned ambulances were set on fire in the car park of a synagogue in Golders Green.

On 2 October 2025, two Jewish people were killed and three left in serious condition after a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, with one man killed by a police bullet.