Golders Green stabbing suspect was referred to government's counter-terrorism programme | BBC News
A 45-year-old Somali-born British national, previously referred to the government's Prevent counter-terrorism programme, stabbed two Jewish men in Golders Green. The UK government announced £25 million in additional security funding for Jewish communities, bringing the total to £58 million. Politicians and community members are calling for stronger action, with some declaring the situation a national security emergency.
Summary
A knife attack in Golders Green, London resulted in two Jewish men being stabbed in broad daylight. The victims were identified locally as Schlomi Rand, aged 34, and Moshi Shine, aged 76. Schlomi Rand's mother told the BBC her son had been walking the streets minding his own business and expressed horror that such events could occur in London.
The suspect, a 45-year-old Somali-born British national who came to the UK lawfully as a child, was arrested by police. Authorities noted he has a history of serious violence and mental health issues. A significant revelation emerged that he had previously been referred to the government's counter-terrorism programme, Prevent, raising serious questions about why that case was closed and whether systemic failures occurred.
In response to the attack, the government announced £25 million in additional funding for the protection of Jewish communities, raising the total to £58 million. The funding is intended to increase visible police patrols and deploy plain-clothes officers around Jewish community centres, schools, and synagogues. Police forces across the country also announced stepped-up patrols in Jewish areas.
However, many community members and politicians expressed that these measures are too little, too late. Community members in Golders Green described feeling scared, exhausted, abandoned, and betrayed by the government. One resident described the extreme security measures already required at her grandson's Jewish faith school, including security guards, fences, and bomb-drill practices.
Political pressure is mounting from multiple directions. Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, described the situation as the biggest national security emergency since 2017 and called on ministers to formally declare an emergency. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for the proscription of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), expulsion of the Iranian ambassador, and proscription of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Liberal Democrats called for a national address from the Prime Minister on tackling antisemitism, while the Conservatives said words must be matched with concrete action.
There are also renewed calls to reconsider pro-Palestine marches, with Jonathan Hall suggesting a temporary ban. The government acknowledged that public order legislation relating to protests and hate crime may be outdated and in need of review. The proscription of the IRGC, already planned for the next parliamentary session, faces calls for immediate implementation given alleged Iranian links to recent attacks on the Jewish community.
Key Insights
- Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, argued that the series of attacks on Jewish communities constitutes 'the biggest national security emergency since 2017' and called on ministers to formally declare an emergency, stating it is not an exaggeration given the multiple attacks affecting Jewish life across Britain.
- BBC correspondent Nick Erley identified the most pressing political question as why the suspect's Prevent referral case was closed, suggesting this represents a potential systemic failure that the government will face intense scrutiny over in the coming days and weeks.
- A Jewish community member told BBC News that her 7-year-old grandson must pass through three large fences, two banks of security guards, and regularly undergo bomb-attack drills at his Jewish faith school — illustrating the existing extreme security burden already placed on the community before this latest attack.
- Nigel Farage, speaking in Golders Green, called on the government to immediately proscribe Iran's IRGC, expel the Iranian ambassador, and proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood, framing these as clear distinctions between right and wrong that the government should make without hesitation.
- BBC correspondent Shan Dilly reported that the dominant sentiment among Golders Green residents and business owners was that government and media responses amount to cheap words with no real action on the ground, and that this attack is not isolated but the latest in a series of incidents targeting the Jewish community.
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