Met Police Commissioner Cautions Against Premature Attribution in Golders Green Arson Case
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has stated that it remains "too early" to definitively link the recent arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green to the Iranian state, despite acknowledging a concerning escalation in threats from hostile nations. The incident, which involved four Hatzola ambulances being set ablaze in the early hours of Monday morning, is currently being treated as an antisemitic hate crime rather than terrorism, according to Scotland Yard officials.
Investigations Explore Multiple Lines of Inquiry Including Potential State Links
Speaking at the annual dinner of the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity dedicated to monitoring antisemitism across the United Kingdom, Sir Mark emphasized the police force is examining all possible avenues to identify those responsible. This includes scrutinizing potential connections to the Iranian state, which has demonstrated increased hostile activities in recent years.
"Britain’s Jewish community has in recent years been increasingly targeted by individuals, groups and hostile states, intent on spreading fear, hate and harm," Sir Mark declared. "The rapid growth in recent years of Iranian state threats is grave: hostile state surveillance activity, 20 disrupted plots, and recent attempted attacks on the Iranian diaspora. None of this is isolated. It is part of a rapidly shifting threat landscape."
He further clarified, "It is too early for me to attribute last night’s attack in Golders Green to the Iranian state – that is rightly for the counter-terrorism investigation to determine – but whoever was responsible, the impact is serious."
Details of the Attack and Online Claims of Responsibility
The arson attack, captured on CCTV footage, shows three hooded individuals pouring accelerant on the vehicles before fleeing the scene. Moments later, the ambulances erupted in flames, with the intense heat causing cylinders inside to explode and forcing nearby residents to evacuate their homes.
Investigators are aware of an online claim of responsibility allegedly posted on Telegram by an Islamist group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. The video reportedly includes a map pinpointing the location of the ambulances and footage of the vehicles burning. Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who oversees policing in the area, confirmed authorities are examining this claim but have not yet verified its authenticity.
"We believe three suspects were involved and we are pursuing all lines of inquiry, including an online claim of responsibility by an Islamist group who have claimed other attacks across Europe and have potential Iranian state links," Sir Mark added.
Community Response and Broader Implications
Detective Chief Superintendent Williams underscored the broader significance of the attack, stating, "An attack on Hatzola is not only an attack on the Jewish community but an attack on all of us. And let us be clear about what was targeted: a volunteer ambulance service that serves everyone, of every background. There is no us and them. There is only an attack on a British community."
Jewish leaders met with the Prime Minister at Downing Street on Monday, where Michael Wegier, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, expressed that Jews in the UK feel less secure now compared to just a few years ago. In response to the incident, more than 250 people gathered for a rally against antisemitism in Golders Green on Monday evening, waving Israeli flags and chanting slogans such as "Keir Starmer, Jew harmer," "Long live Israel," and "No to Jew hate," according to estimates from the Press Association.
The Metropolitan Police continue to urge anyone with information to come forward as they work to unravel the motives and perpetrators behind this alarming act of violence against a vital community service.
