Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community organisation in north London were set ablaze overnight in what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called “a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack.”
The London Fire Brigade sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters to the scene. Multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, causing windows to shatter in an adjacent apartment block. No injuries were reported.
Security camera footage showed three masked people approach an ambulance belonging to the Hatzola Northwest organisation and set it on fire near the Machzikei Hadath synagogue in Golders Green around 1:36 am Monday morning.
London’s Metropolitan Police said authorities are treating the arson attack as an antisemitic hate crime. Police confirmed they are looking for three suspects but have made no arrests yet.
Naija News gathered that the SITE Intelligence website reported an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group has allegedly carried out similar fires in Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands.
Prime Minister And Community Leaders Condemn Attack
British Prime Minister Starmer condemned the incident early on monday morning, noting that there is no place for such in Britain.
“My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news. Antisemitism has no place in our society,” Starmer said on X.
Also, Israel’s embassy in Britain said the firebombing demonstrated that antisemitism was rampant in London.
“Enough is enough. There must be a thorough investigation and decisive action to put an end to this climate of intimidation before it spirals further. Silence and inaction are no longer an option,” the embassy said on X.
In addition, Hatzola Northwest Chairman Shloimie Richman confirmed that attackers had deliberately targeted four of the organisation’s six ambulances.
“Obviously, we have concerns that this is a direct attack on the Jewish community,” Richman said. He added that the organisation had not received any threats before the arson attacks.
Meanwhile, according to reports, Local residents heard multiple explosions and saw large orange flames and smoke rising into the night sky. The explosions resulted from gas canisters on board the ambulances, police said. Authorities evacuated some residents as a precaution.
Golders Green is home to many synagogues, schools, and kosher restaurants, and is known for its large Jewish and Orthodox Jewish communities.
Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the ambulance attacks “a particularly sickening assault, not only on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society.”
“Our Hatzola volunteer ambulance corps is an extraordinary service, whose sole mission is to protect life, Jewish and non-Jewish alike,” Mirvis said on X.
Antisemitic Incidents On The Rise
The number of antisemitic incidents reached record levels in 2024, according to Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors incidents. Just under 300,000 people identified as Jewish in England and Wales in 2021, according to the most recent census.
Police Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the Golders Green area, said officers would increase patrols.
“We will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area as we continue our investigation to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence,” Jackson said.
Hatzola, which derives its name from the Hebrew word for save, is a non-profit volunteer organisation that responds to thousands of emergencies each year in North London. The organisation has chapters in Jewish communities around the world.
