The Metropolitan Police has deployed an additional 100 officers across London's Jewish communities in response to a surge in antisemitic attacks. The new community protection team aims to address what police describe as 'some of the highest levels of hate crime alongside significant terrorist and hostile state threats.'
Recent Attacks and Response
The move follows a series of incidents, including a double stabbing in Golders Green, which is being treated as an act of terrorism, as well as arson attacks on volunteer Jewish ambulances and an October 7 memorial wall. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the wave of antisemitism as a 'pandemic' and stated that an additional 300 officers are necessary to combat the threat.
Funding and Community Reaction
The Home Office has committed an extra £18 million, with an additional £4 million available through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. However, Jewish groups have expressed outrage that such measures are needed. The Campaign Against Antisemitism told Metro: 'Jewish institutions are inevitably having to take yet more precautions as a result of the latest spate of antisemitic violence. For years Jewish children have gone to school behind bomb-resistant glass and practiced emergency drills, Jewish congregants have gone to synagogue behind guards and barbed wire, and Jewish communal events have kept their locations secret even from attendees until the last minute. This is lawlessness in modern Britain.'
Mark, a resident living near the site of the Golders Green attack, shared his family's growing fear: 'My wife is terrified. The attacks are near-daily at this point. We are on alert at all times, and the conversation about moving to another country is becoming more and more frequent.'
Police Statement
The Metropolitan Police stated: 'British Jews now appear on the hate lists of every major extremist movement: extreme right‑wing groups, Islamist terrorists, elements of the extreme left and hostile state actors. It is a deeply concerning convergence, and Jewish communities are living with the consequences of that risk daily. This focus does not mean the Metropolitan Police is deprioritising other communities. Hate crime in all its forms – including ongoing efforts to tackle racism, anti‑Muslim hate crime, homophobia and other forms of hatred in the capital – remains a core policing priority.'
