Starmer convenes emergency meeting after Golders Green antisemitic attack

Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting in Downing Street on Sunday following a suspected terrorist attack in Golders Green, north London, where two Jewish men were stabbed in what police have confirmed was an antisemitic incident.

Speaking ahead of the private meeting, Starmer said: "Today is about part of the response which is really important, which is the criminal justice response, because a number of people have been arrested, a number of them go through the criminal justice system, and it's really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible. And that's why I wanted to get you around the table today."

He continued: "I do think there's a wider duty on all of us in terms of confidence in the criminal justice system to be able to deal with appalling attacks like this, to show that it can act in a swift, agile and visible way. And I look forward to a discussion with you as to how we make that happen."

The prime minister also said the attack on the Jewish community "is an attack on all of us". "What we saw last night was people being targeted because they are Jewish, I'm absolutely clear about that," Starmer said. "There's no getting away from the fact that this was not a one-off. This has been a series of attacks on our Jewish community, particularly in recent weeks, and there is a very deep sense of anxiety, of concern about security, about safety, about identity frankly."

Attending the meeting were: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Attorney General Richard Hermer, Security Minister Dan Jarvis, and Justice Minister and Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman.

The 45-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder is a British national born in Somalia who came to the UK lawfully as a child, according to the home secretary. The Metropolitan Police said he was initially taken to hospital after being arrested but has since been discharged and remains in custody at a London police station. Commissioner Mark Rowley said the suspect has a history of mental health issues, drug use and convictions for violence.

The victims, named locally as Nachman Moshe ben Chaya Sarah and Moshe Ben Baila, remain in hospital in a stable condition.

The government announced it will invest a further £25m to increase security for Jewish communities. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "The question for me is, what am I going to do to ensure that people are able to go about their business safely, just like their fellow citizens, and that they also feel safe as well? And that is the action that I am taking, practical action, in order to put in the enhanced policing, the higher spending on security so that people can go about their business."

The home secretary rejected the characterisation by Jonathan Hall, the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, that attacks on Jewish people constituted a "national emergency", saying the phrase "has particular connotations" meaning "you change your democracy, and you disapply some elements of our democratic society". However, she said: "For me this is an absolutely pressing priority. It is an emergency for me as home secretary to respond to."

Jonathan Hall had said attacks on Jewish people have become "the biggest national security emergency" since 2017, with Brits in London and Manchester now thinking they cannot live a normal life. He also called for a "moratorium" on pro-Palestinian marches, saying it was currently "impossible" for such demonstrations not to "incubate" antisemitism.

Several of the UK's leading imams, including the Chief Imam of Scotland Sayed Razawi, together with Jewish leaders who signed the Drumlanrig Accords last year, issued a statement "utterly condemning" the attack. The statement said: "We note with grave concern the violent attack on two Jewish men in Golders Green, London. We extend our thoughts and solidarity to those injured, their families and the wider Jewish community. Any act of violence or intimidation directed at individuals because of their faith or identity is utterly unacceptable."

Local residents expressed fear and determination. Danny Grunfeld, 75, who lives near where the attack occurred on Highbury Avenue, said: "It's very frightening. It's not a pleasant situation when you feel any minute you're getting out, your life is in danger." He added: "We look around all the time. It's horrible. That's the best word. It's just a horrible situation. I go to synagogue. I'm frightened."

Joseph Deutsch, 80, who said he has always lived in Golders Green, said he will not allow himself to be frightened by the attack. "I'm not going to give into it," he added. "That's exactly what they want us to feel: frightened."

Baruch Stern, of Gross Butchers near the scene, said: "People feel scared, people feel unsafe. People think, is it really the place for me to be here? Is the UK safe for Jewish people, or is it something we need to think about, moving away?"

John Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, said British Jews are at "breaking point" and feel they can no longer live safely in the UK. "Don't forget, everyone in the Jewish community is fleeing from somewhere," the Labour peer told Sky News. "Jewish people in this country have always had to flee from somewhere to get here."

The police cordon surrounding the scene was lifted by 7am on Sunday, with roads including Highfield Avenue, Beverley Gardens and Golders Green Road reopened.