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British Jews are currently confronting an unprecedented threat, as authorities investigate the involvement of an Iran-affiliated group in a series of antisemitic incidents, according to London’s leading police officer.
Sir Mark Rowley, the chief of London’s Metropolitan Police, expressed grave concerns in an interview with The Times of London. “When you consider the convergence of hate crime, terrorism, and hostile state actions, coupled with the spread of ideology online, the situation becomes extremely alarming and worrisome,” Rowley explained.
He elaborated on the complex web of threats, stating, “Whether it’s extreme left, Islamist terrorism, or right-wing terrorism, and even certain hostile states, particularly those linked to Iran, they form a troubling nexus at the heart of this issue.”
These remarks follow a shocking antisemitic knife attack that occurred on Wednesday, where two Jewish men were brutally stabbed in north London. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Essa Suleiman, originally from Somalia, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of carrying a bladed weapon in public, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Suleiman was charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place, according to authorities.
Shadowy Islamic group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) claimed responsibility for the knife attack, The Times of Israel reported.
That group has also taken credit for at least eight arson attacks on Jewish locations in London in recent weeks, NBC News reported.
HAYI has direct links to the regime in Tehran, with British authorities investigating whether the group is linked specifically to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps or another arm of Tehran’s crumbling government, The Times of London said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised the government was taking immediate action and suggested the attack could have backing from a foreign state.
“We’ve increased enhanced funding for police patrols and protective security and we’re fast-tracking legislation to deal with malign state actors,” Starmer wrote on X, adding, “My message to Jewish people is this: you belong here, and we will do everything we can to keep you safe.”
Starmer also suggested that people using the leftist rallying-cry “globalize the intifada,” widely seen as an antisemitic call for violence against Jew, at anti-Israel marches should be prosecuted.
“[I]f you are marching with people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, you are venerating the murder of Jews. If you stand alongside people who say globalize the Intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews and people who use that phrase should be prosecuted,” Starmer said in an address Saturday.
Starmer added he would consider banning some of the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel marches if they used the occasion to spread calls for intifada.