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Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police are increasing patrols around Jewish sites after two suspected attempts to burn down synagogue Published Apr 19, 2026 Last updated 2 hours ago 4 minute read Article content Police in London beefed up their presence around Jewish institutions following a suspected attempt to burn down a synagogue on Saturday, one day after an alleged arson attack on the former offices of a Jewish charity, police said. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. or Article content "Uniformed and plain-clothed officers will maintain a strong presence around the borough, including providing reassurance to Jewish places of worship and businesses. Extra stop and search powers have also been introduced across Barnet to help deter acts of violence and target any potential offenders," the Metropolitan Police wrote in a statement on Saturday night. Article content Article content
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Article content Armed response vehicles and Counter Terrorism Policing resources "have also been deployed to the area to support the increased local policing plan. Police motorbikes and interceptors will also be in and around communities to bolster efforts, the police said. Article content By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Article content The arson in Kenton, northwestern London, on Saturday resulted in "minor damage to an interior room" at the synagogue and no injuries, the Community Security Trust, British Jewry's security organ and watchdog on antisemitism, said in a statement on Sunday. The statement also said that police had arrived at the scene and were investigating what led to the incident. Article content British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis called the attack part of "A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the U.K." that is "gathering momentum" and "an attack on the values that bind us all together," in addition to being a "sustained attack on our community's ability to worship and live in safety. Article content "It follows the attack in Finchley on Wednesday and the attempted attack on what was the Jewish Futures building in Hendon on Friday night, making three Jewish sites attacked in London in less than a week," Mirvis noted. Article content London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote on X on Sunday, "There will be a significantly increased police presence in the area, including around Jewish places of worship and businesses. There is no place for antisemitism in our city, and the perpetrators of these despicable attacks will face the full force of the law. London will always stand united against those seeking to divide us." Article content
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Article content In recent weeks, Jewish charities, businesses and places of worship have been targeted in a series of shameful antisemitic attacks. Jewish Londoners must be able to live their lives free from the fear of harassment, intimidation or violence. The fact they cannot do so is… Article content Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "appalled" by the recent incidents. Article content Article content "This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated," he wrote on X. "Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain. We are increasing visible policing and those responsible will be found and brought to justice. We will not rest in the pursuit of perpetrators." Article content On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said it was probing an arson attack that took place on Friday night in Hendon, also in northern London, against a business that had been previously owned by a Jewish charity. Article content The site on Hendon Way still bears signs of the former owner, reading "jewish futures." Article content A man was seen to approach a row of shops with a plastic bag with what was later found to be three bottles containing fluid. He placed the bag next to the building and lit the items in the bag, according to police. The bottles failed to fully ignite and the man fled the scene. On Wednesday, a man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life after two bottles, possibly containing petrol, on the Finchley Reform Synagogue in northern London. Those incidents, too, resulted in minor damage and no injuries. Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet. Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Article content On March 23, four ambulances of the Hatzola Northwest Jewish emergency response group were set on fire in the London neighbourhood of Golders Green. Article content The Board of Deputies of British Jews noted these incidents in a statement on Sunday, adding, "There have also been similar incidents targeting Iranian opposition media outlets and the Israeli Embassy." Article content Board President Phil Rosenberg wrote: "Our community will not be intimidated by these cowardly acts of hate, which are an attack on Britain and its values, and on the security and cohesion of everyone in our country." Article content In 2025, the United Kingdom had the highest per capita rate of real-life antisemitic assaults of any country with a large Jewish community, according to a report published last week by Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating antisemitism. Article content The report, published on the eve of Israel's national day of commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust, said that "high and sustained levels of antisemitic activity" were recorded in several areas, "with a notable concentration in a select number of countries: the United States, the U.K., Australia, France, Canada and Germany." Article content
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Article content The United Kingdom topped the chart of violent antisemitic incidents per capita with 121 cases in a country with a Jewish population of 292,000, the report noted. Article content The Community Security Trust recorded a total of 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, including nonviolent and non-physical cases. This was an increase over the previous year and the second-highest tally on record, representing a four per cent bump from the 3,556 anti-Jewish hate incidents CST recorded in 2024. Last year's total was 14 per cent lower than the highest ever annual total of 4,298 antisemitic incidents reported in 2023. Article content — With files from National Post Article content Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here. Article content
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