Keir Starmer has pledged to crack down on those “venerating the murder of Jews” at protest marches as the UK terror threat level was raised to “severe” in the wake of the Golders Green attack. The prime minister promised to do “everything in our power to stamp this hatred out” after meeting emergency workers and community leaders near the scene in north-west London where two Jewish men were stabbed on Wednesday.
Terror Threat Level Raised
The UK terrorism threat level was raised on Thursday evening to severe by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), based at MI5, meaning a terrorist attack is “highly likely”. It is the second-highest of the five tiers, the highest, “critical”, meaning an act is likely to be “imminent”. Amid fear and anxiety among British Jews, Starmer is facing calls to do more to protect them after a string of antisemitic attacks, which appear to have intensified amid the Israel-Gaza war, and US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Starmer's Strongest Remarks Yet
In his strongest remarks yet on antisemitism, Starmer called on people to “open their eyes to Jewish pain”. Of pro-Palestine marches where some protesters chant or display antisemitic slogans, the prime minister said: “Of course, we protect freedom of speech and peaceful protest in this country, but if you are marching with people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, you are venerating the murder of Jews.” He added: “If you stand alongside people who say ‘globalise the intifada’, you are calling for terrorism against Jews, and people who use that phrase should be prosecuted. It is racism, extreme racism, and it has left a minority community in this country scared, intimidated, wondering if they belong.”
Suspect Referred to Prevent Programme
The government’s counter-extremism scheme is under scrutiny after it emerged the suspect in the attack was referred to the Prevent programme and cleared of being a terrorist danger six years ago. The suspect, understood to be 45-year-old Essa Suleiman, was referred to Prevent in 2020 and the case was closed within six weeks by the deradicalisation scheme, which has faced previous criticism for being ineffective. The man was arrested by the Metropolitan police on suspicion of attempted murder on Wednesday shortly after the stabbings, and is currently in custody. Suleiman was born in February 1981 and came to the UK as a child.
Police and Community Response
Police said on Thursday they would review whether marches would go ahead in the coming weeks. Laurence Taylor, assistant commissioner and head of counter terrorism policing, said: “At this stage that is part of the work that police forces will be reviewing.” However, the government is not considering calls for a pause on pro-Gaza marches, which was suggested this week by Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer on terrorism, on the grounds that they were incubating hatred towards Jews. Starmer also pledged £25m more funding for Jewish security services and stronger powers to shut down charities that promote antisemitic extremism.
Victims and Aftermath
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, earlier said the two stabbing victims, Shilome Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, continued to be treated and were in a stable condition. Rand was discharged from hospital on Thursday evening, according to a post on social media by Rabbi Levi Schapiro, from the Jewish Community Council. The Home Office said the threat level had risen after Wednesday’s stabbing “but it is not solely a result of that attack. The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in broader Islamist and extreme rightwing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK.”
Political Reactions
Several political parties have called for stronger laws on protest in the wake of the terror attack. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, who visited the scene on the day of the stabbings, said the attacks on Jewish people were a “national emergency”. The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, criticised the government for being “weak” and allowing “marches to take place, with chants being heard over the streets of London and other cities”. However, the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, said that “any response to these abhorrent attacks that curtails our civil liberties would be wrong” and called for politicians to “work together to protect Jewish people”.
