Crime19 May, 20263 min read
Five Men Assault Jewish Man in Golders Green After He Speaks Hebrew in London
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
A 22-year-old Jewish man visiting from Israel was attacked by five men in Golders Green. The assault is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime by the Metropolitan Police.
Golders Green assault
A 22-year-old Jewish man visiting London from Israel was attacked in the early hours of Monday in The Grove, Golders Green, after he stepped out to take a phone call and said he was speaking Hebrew when a group of about five men chased him and shouted insults in Arabic. The Metropolitan Police said the assault was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, and the victim told the BBC, "They kicked me like an animal and didn't stop." The BBC reported the man was taken to hospital for treatment but has since been discharged, with injuries to his face, neck and back, and the Metropolitan Police said officers were called shortly after 02:00 BST on Monday following reports of an assault.
The victim told the BBC he believes he was targeted because he was speaking Hebrew and was Jewish, and he said, "I was thinking they could kill me." No arrests have been made, and the Metropolitan Police is appealing for witnesses to come forward with information as inquiries are ongoing.
Statements and response
The Community Security Trust described the attack as "This was a violent and appalling attack in the heart of Golders Green," and the BBC said the incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Jewish targets in London. The BBC also reported that the Metropolitan Police is treating the assault as an antisemitic hate crime and that earlier this month the Met announced it would set up a dedicated team of 100 additional officers to protect London's Jewish communities. In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, London’s Metropolitan Police said the victim received hospital treatment for injuries to his face and back and that no arrests have been made.
The Jewish Leadership Council wrote in a post on X that the incident marked "yet another appalling attack in the heart of the Jewish community in Golders Green." The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported the announcement of the special team followed an emergency meeting convened by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has denounced the spate of antisemitic attacks.
Broader pattern and next steps
The assault in Golders Green comes after two Jewish men were stabbed on the street last month, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency said four ambulances owned by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer emergency service, were set ablaze in March. The BBC said the attack follows last month's stabbings in Golders Green, north London, and it reported that the victim told the BBC he had not previously been scared by recent antisemitic attacks. The victim told the BBC, "It felt far away for me and I was feeling safe," but added, "But now when it's happened to me, I think something big needs to change in London, and in Europe."
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called shortly after 02:00 BST on Monday and that inquiries are ongoing, while the BBC said the Met Police is appealing for any witnesses to come forward with information. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the Metropolitan Police rolled out new initiatives meant to keep Jews safe, including forming a team of 100 officers to patrol Jewish communities specifically.