UK Man Convicted of Preparing Terror Attack on Israeli Embassy Amid Rising Threat Level

The conviction occurred on Friday after nearly 14 hours of jury deliberation. Albadri, a Kuwaiti national from the stateless Bedoon tribe, arrived in the UK illegally by small boat from France on April 12, 2025, marking his second such entry in four years.

He was arrested on April 28, 2025, while trying to scale the embassy's 7.5-foot metal railings in Kensington Palace Gardens. Armed diplomatic protection officers detained him, finding two knives with 10cm blades and a handwritten martyrdom note.

Body-worn camera footage captured Albadri telling officers he had weapons and asking why they stopped him from committing crimes inside the embassy. He stated he wanted to send a message to stop the war on children and live in harmony. Earlier that morning, Albadri sent his mother a photo of the note and a knife, messaging that he chose the path of martyrdom and would conquer enemies in their homes.

Albadri walked for an hour from Kilburn to the embassy, wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf around his face and sunglasses. He saluted officers before jumping the fence, where PC Nicholas Cox and PC Libby Chessor pulled him down. PC Chessor described the challenge of detaining him as he held on strongly, believing his intent was to enter the grounds.

“I got my weapons. I want to make a crime inside there. Why are you stopping me? Why are you stopping me from making crimes?" — Abdullah Albadri to arresting officers, April 28, 2025 (BBC News). During the trial, prosecutor Catherine Pattison questioned Albadri about wishing an officer would use her rifle on him, which he confirmed. He claimed the knives were for personal use as he was homeless and his statements were sarcastic or part of a protest, denying intent to harm anyone.”

Defense barrister Chris Henry KC argued Albadri was in total despair after his asylum claim was rejected and he was left homeless. Albadri testified he had been imprisoned in Kuwait for five years for human rights activism on behalf of the Bedoon community.

He said his actions were against his beliefs, stating killing would not stop killing. Albadri's first UK entry was in August 2021, when he claimed asylum but ended up back in France via a lorry. After his 2025 arrival, he stayed briefly at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Basingstoke but was evicted as his application was deemed a further submission without accommodation eligibility.

He slept rough and searched online for the embassy location and information on martyrdom. The jury rejected his defense and convicted him on all counts. Albadri was remanded in custody, with sentencing pending.

He is accused of stabbing Ishmail Hussein at his south London flat on Wednesday morning, then traveling to Golders Green in north London to attack two Jewish men, Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, with a knife. Suleiman, who lived in mental health support housing, was not asked to enter a plea and is scheduled for the Old Bailey on May 15.

He remains in custody. The BBC reported his home address details are restricted due to his housing circumstances. On Thursday evening, the UK raised its terrorism threat level to severe, indicating an attack is highly likely in the next six months. The level was lowered to substantial in February 2022.

The Home Office stated the rise reflects an increasing terrorist threat from Islamist and extreme right-wing individuals and groups in the UK, amid state-linked physical threats encouraging violence, including against the Jewish community. While the Golders Green stabbings occurred before the change, officials emphasized it was not the sole factor.

The embassy incident and the stabbing are distinct, but both involve attacks on Jewish or Israeli-related targets. Albadri's motivation was tied to the Gaza conflict, with his note invoking attacks in the way of Allah to end humiliation.

“The terrorist threat level in the U.K. has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the U.K." — Home Office statement (The New York Times). Strict UK laws limit reporting on charged cases to avoid prejudicing trials. The embassy road also hosts Russian and French diplomatic sites, but Albadri targeted the Israeli one specifically. Albadri complained after arrest about not being allowed in, and told officers it was just a message to stop the war. He acknowledged under questioning that being shot while protesting could be martyrdom, but insisted he sought peaceful demonstration.”