Leaders Demand Action After Antisemitic Stabbing in London

“If you are visibly Jewish, you’re not safe,” Rabbi Mirvis said, adding that “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient.”

By United with Israel Staff

A stabbing attack targeting Jewish pedestrians in London has triggered a wave of urgent calls from officials and community leaders for stronger action to combat rising antisemitism across the United Kingdom.

The two victims, identified locally as Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, remain in stable condition after the attack, which police have classified as a terror incident. A 45-year-old suspect has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Authorities said the suspect, a British national born in Somalia who arrived in the UK as a child, is in custody as counterterrorism officers lead the investigation. Police are working to determine the full circumstances of the attack and any potential extremist motives.

In the aftermath, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned that the attack reflects a broader and deeply troubling reality.

“If you are visibly Jewish, you’re not safe,” he said, adding that “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient.”

“This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader, and every decent person in our country,” Mirvis wrote on X. “This is a hatred that we must face down together.”

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Following the antisemitic stabbing of two Jewish people on the streets of Golders Green this morning, words of condemnation are no longer sufficient. This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader, and every decent…

— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) April 29, 2026

His remarks were echoed by Jonathan Hall, KC, the UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, who described attacks on Jewish communities as a growing national crisis.

“There are Brits who are now thinking they cannot live a normal life,” Hall told the BBC. “And it’s not one attack, it’s multiple attacks,” calling the trend “the biggest national security emergency” since 2017.

The UK government has acknowledged the seriousness of the threat. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she is treating the situation as an emergency, even as she stopped short of formally declaring one.

“I am treating this as an emergency,” Mahmood said, describing antisemitism as “abhorrent and unacceptable” and affirming that the Jewish community has “every right” to live in safety.

She added that such attacks are designed “to divide our society” and erode trust between communities.

In response, the government announced an additional 25 million pounds ($31 million) in funding to bolster security, including increased police patrols and enhanced protections for synagogues, schools, and Jewish community centers.

Israel also weighed in, with the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on Britain to take stronger measures.

“Words are not enough to confront this scourge,” the statement said, citing what it described as repeated antisemitic attacks. “We demand and expect action by the British government to protect the Jews of England and bring antisemites to justice.”

Community leaders say the attack has deepened fears among British Jews, with growing concern that visible Jewish life is increasingly being targeted.

Calls for stronger measures are growing louder, with leaders insisting that condemnation alone is no longer enough. The demand now is for concrete, sustained action to confront antisemitism and ensure the safety of Jewish communities.