Antisemitism is an old, old hatred. If you turn away, it grows back.
In the wake of a terror-classified stabbing of two Jewish men in London, Britain raised its national threat level from substantial to severe — a signal that the violence is not isolated but part of a deepening pattern. The attack, linked by some to Iranian proxy networks, arrives against a backdrop of surging antisemitic incidents that have shadowed the UK's Jewish community since the October 2023 conflict in Gaza began. A government pledging funds, faster justice, and new powers finds itself navigating the ancient and unresolved tension between protecting a minority and preserving the open society that defines it.
- A stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London — immediately classified as terrorism — has forced Britain to confront how far antisemitic violence has escalated since October 2023.
- The arrested suspect had already passed through the government's own Prevent deradicalization program in 2020, raising urgent questions about why his file was closed and who else may have slipped through.
- A claimed link to an Iranian proxy group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, has not been confirmed, but the possibility of state-sponsored targeting of British Jews is now openly on the table.
- Prime Minister Starmer visited the affected community only to be met by protesters accusing him of enabling antisemitism — a sign that public trust in the government's response is fracturing from multiple directions.
- The government has pledged £25 million for community security and faster sentencing, but a fierce debate over whether to ban pro-Palestinian marches threatens to deepen social divisions rather than resolve them.
Britain raised its national terrorism threat level from substantial to severe on Thursday, one day after a stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London was classified as an act of terror. The decision reflected not a single incident but a sustained pattern of violence against the country's Jewish community — one that has intensified sharply since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 and the war in Gaza that followed.
A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He had a history of serious violence and mental health problems, and had been referred to the government's Prevent deradicalization program in 2020 — only for his file to be closed that same year, with no public explanation offered. An online post claimed responsibility under the name of a group Israel has linked to Iranian proxies, though Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood cautioned that the claim may have been opportunistic rather than genuine.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer traveled to Golders Green to address the community, but was met by roughly 100 protesters accusing him of failing to protect Jewish people. In a televised address from Downing Street, he described antisemitism as 'an old, old hatred' that grows deeper when ignored. The statistics bear him out: reported antisemitic incidents have climbed steeply since late 2023. In October 2024, a man drove into a crowd outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, fatally stabbing one person; another died after being struck by police gunfire. A series of arson attacks on synagogues and Jewish sites followed, resulting in 28 arrests.
The government announced £25 million for increased security around synagogues, schools, and community centers, and pledged to accelerate court sentencing in antisemitic cases. But the response has not quieted critics. Some, including the opposition Conservative leader and the government's own former terrorism legislation reviewer, have called for a ban on pro-Palestinian marches, arguing they have helped cultivate an atmosphere hostile to Jews. Starmer has resisted a blanket prohibition while promising prosecution of those using phrases seen as incitement to violence, and pledged new powers to counter what he acknowledged is Iran's deliberate intent to harm British Jews.
Officials were careful to note that the elevated threat level reflects not only the Golders Green attack but a broader danger from both Islamist and far-right actors — a diffuse and evolving threat that no single policy measure seems equipped to contain.
Britain's official terrorism threat level jumped from substantial to severe on Thursday, a day after a stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London that police immediately classified as an act of terror. The move reflected not just the single incident but a broader pattern of violence and intimidation that has engulfed the country's Jewish community since late 2023.
Authorities arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder. Police disclosed that he carried a history of serious violence and mental health problems, and had been referred to the government's Prevent program in 2020—an initiative designed to redirect people away from extremism. His file was closed that same year, though officials declined to explain why. An online post claimed responsibility for the stabbing under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a group Israel's government has linked to Iranian proxies. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said investigators were still determining whether that claim held weight or was merely opportunistic. Security analysts cautioned that the name might function as a convenient banner rather than representing an actual organized entity.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Golders Green on Thursday to address the community, but encountered roughly 100 protesters holding signs that read "Keir Starmer, Jew harmer." The demonstration reflected deep frustration that the government was not doing enough to confront antisemitism. Starmer acknowledged the anxiety in a televised statement from 10 Downing Street, calling antisemitism "an old, old hatred" with roots that deepen when ignored. "Yet far too many people in this country diminish it," he said.
The surge in antisemitic violence has been sharp and sustained. Britain's Jewish population numbers around 300,000. Since Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza began, reported antisemitic incidents across the UK have climbed steeply, according to the Community Security Trust charity. In October 2024, a man drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, fatally stabbing one person. Another man died during that same attack after being struck by police gunfire. Since an Iran-related conflict began on February 28, a series of arson attacks have targeted synagogues and other Jewish sites in London, as well as locations associated with Iranian government opponents. Police arrested 28 people in connection with those fires, which caused no injuries. A handful faced charges, and one teenager was convicted after pleading guilty.
The government announced 25 million pounds—roughly $34 million—for increased police patrols and protective measures around synagogues, schools, and community centers. Starmer pledged that courts would accelerate sentencing in antisemitic cases as a deterrent. Mahmood declared that she was treating antisemitism as "an emergency," calling it her top security priority. The threat level itself had stood at severe for much of the period between 2014 and February 2022, when it was lowered to substantial.
Yet the government's response has drawn criticism from those who argue it has permitted an atmosphere of antisemitism to flourish. Since October 2023, pro-Palestinian protests have been held regularly across the country. While overwhelmingly peaceful, some demonstrations have featured chants such as "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," which critics say incite hatred against Jews. Jonathan Hall, the government's former reviewer of terrorism legislation, called for a temporary ban on pro-Palestinian marches, saying they had helped "incubate" antisemitism. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, backed such a ban, arguing the marches "are used as a cover for violence and intimidation against Jews."
Starmer has resisted a blanket prohibition but said that protesters using the phrase "globalize the intifada"—which some view as a call for violence against Jews—should face prosecution. He also pledged to fast-track new powers to counter "the malign threat posed by states like Iran," acknowledging that authorities know Iran intends to harm British Jews. The government's assessment that the threat level rise stems not solely from the Golders Green attack but also from "Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK" suggests officials see the danger as diffuse and evolving.
Citas Notables
Antisemitism is an old, old hatred. History shows that the roots are deep, and if you turn away, it grows back. Yet far too many people in this country diminish it.— Prime Minister Keir Starmer
I'm treating antisemitism as an emergency. It's the top security issue I face.— Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did the government wait until now to raise the threat level, if antisemitic violence has been climbing since October 2023?
The level had already been lowered to substantial in 2022. What changed recently is the character of the attacks—the arson campaigns, the stabbing, the apparent coordination or at least the naming of a group. The government seems to have decided the pattern had shifted from isolated incidents to something more organized, or at least more deliberately claimed.
This group claiming responsibility—Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia—does it actually exist?
That's the question everyone's asking. Security experts are skeptical. It might be a real organization, or it might be a name people use to claim attacks after the fact. The fact that it's claimed arson attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands too suggests either a real network or a convenient label for copycat violence.
So why is the government focusing on Iran if the threat is also from homegrown extremists?
Because Iran is a state actor with resources and intent. The government has evidence of Iranian proxies conducting operations in Europe. But the domestic threat—the right-wing extremists, the radicalized individuals—that's harder to prevent. You can't ban a state, but you can try to disrupt its networks.
The protesters calling Starmer a "Jew harmer"—are they antisemitic, or are they just angry at his government?
That's the tension the story doesn't fully resolve. Some are probably both. The anger at the government for not stopping the violence is real. But the language they chose, the framing—it suggests something deeper. It's the difference between criticizing a policy and attacking a person's character through an ethnic lens.
Will banning pro-Palestinian marches actually reduce antisemitism?
Probably not. Banning speech rarely eliminates the sentiment behind it. But the government's worry is that the marches create space where antisemitism can hide—where hatred gets mixed in with legitimate political protest. Whether that's true is what the country is arguing about now.