- Four ambulances were deliberately set on fire outside a synagogue in Golders Green early Monday, causing property damage but no injuries.
- An Iranian-backed group, Ashab al-Yamin, claimed responsibility, though U.K. authorities have not verified the claim.
- U.K. leaders, including Keir Starmer, condemned the attack as antisemitic, while political reactions highlighted broader disagreements over government response and public safety.
Four ambulances were set on fire outside a synagogue in London, early Monday morning, prompting an investigation into the attack in a predominantly Jewish area.
Though the U.K. has not verified their claim, an Iranian-backed militant group, Ashab al-Yamin, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
CCTV footage from 1:45 a.m. local time shows three masked suspects approaching the vehicles, which belong to a Jewish volunteer charity in London. One suspect can be seen carrying a large container. The fire did not result in any injuries, though it destroyed several windows in adjacent homes.
Residents in the neighborhood were evacuated, and the fire was brought under control shortly after 3 a.m.
The attack took place in one of England’s most densely populated Jewish neighborhoods, Golders Green. Just northwest of London, the area is home to 30 synagogues. Nearly half of its residents are Jewish, the Telegraph reported.
Ashab al-Yamin has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks through Europe in the past month, including an attack on a Jewish institution in Greece, damage to a synagogue in Belgium and arson at a Jewish school in the Netherlands
Meanwhile, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams referenced the terror group in a statement on Monday morning. “We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack. Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team, but it is not something we can confirm at this point,” he said.
British politicians deliver mixed reactions to the arson
Speaking from the scene in Golders Green, the U.K.’s secretary of state for health care, Wes Streeting, said his government will pay for replacement ambulances.
He added, “Those responsible for this attack must know that the Jewish community will not face up to this hatred alone; the whole country will stand with them.”
A member of the public heckled Streeting as he spoke, yelling, “You’re not wanted here. Your party caused this,” the Telegraph reported.
On the other side of the political aisle, Reform U.K.’s education spokeswoman, Suella Braverman, said the attacks are a result of “years of weak leadership” by conservatives and the Labour party. She told the Telegraph, “All we get are warm words, ‘I’m shocked and I’m upset,’ by prime ministers, whether its (Keir) Starmer or (Rishi) Sunak, but nothing changes.”
She continued, “Jews are leaving the country because they don’t feel safe here. They feel safer in Israel, a war zone, than they do in London at the moment.”
In a statement recorded by Sky News on Monday morning, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the arson “a horrific and antisemitic attack.”
“Of course, my thoughts, and I think all of our thoughts, will be with those in the vicinity (and) the residents who understandably very concerned — the Jewish community across the country (is) deeply concerned," he said.
Starmer added that he’d already been in touch with community leaders from the area. “Antisemitism has no place in our society, and it’s really important that we all stand together at a moment like this,” he said.