Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Two Jewish Men Stabbed in London

A 45-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed Wednesday in the U.K. capital.

Essa Suleiman faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a bladed article in a public place following the stabbing of two Jewish men — Shloime Rand, aged 34, and Moshe Shine, aged 76. The attack took place in Golders Green, north west London.

Both were taken to hospital, with Rand subsequently discharged. Suleiman was also charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident on the same date in central London.

He remains in police custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court Friday.

The Met's counter-terror lead Helen Flanagan said: "Our thoughts remain with the victims involved and specialist officers continue to provide them with support as their recovery continues. "We are determined to get justice for the victims and now that a person has been charged, I would urge everyone to avoid any further speculation in relation to this case so that justice can run its course."

Suleiman, a British national born in Somalia who came to the U.K. in the 1990s, was referred to the government's counter-extremism programme Prevent in 2020 — but the case was closed in the same year.

The charge comes after the U.K.'s terror threat level was raised Thursday evening from "substantial" to "severe," meaning security services see an attack as "highly likely" in the next six months.

The government, under pressure after a spare of attacks on Jews in the U.K., has meanwhile committed an extra £25 million to police patrols and security for Jewish communities.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley told Times Radio Friday that Britain is "facing a building pandemic of antisemitism" and that his officers are "dealing with the symptoms of that disease."