Jewish leaders warn of rising fear after Golders Green stabbing
By BBC News
London, 1 May 2026
Jewish community leaders have said they are “reeling” following a stabbing attack in north London, as concerns grow over rising antisemitism and public safety.
Russell Langer, director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council, said the community was moving from shock into anger, adding that “people have been warning about this”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he referenced earlier incidents, including last year’s Manchester synagogue attack and recent arson attacks on Jewish sites in London, saying “we saw the warning signs”. He added: “At this point in time, I don’t think there’s any faith in the community that something like this isn’t going to happen again.”
Langer called for a stronger long-term policing presence in Jewish communities and said the “cost for antisemitism” needed to be increased.
His comments came as the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, urged further action to protect the Jewish community, despite welcoming additional government funding for security.
The government recently announced an extra £25m to support increased police patrols and security at Jewish sites.
Sir Ephraim told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that while he appreciated the support and solidarity from ministers, “we cannot only treat the symptoms — we need to treat the root causes”.
He said the government had “recognised they haven’t” done enough and that the challenge remained “enormous”, urging what he described as the “silent majority” to speak out against antisemitism.
The comments come amid heightened concern following a stabbing in Golders Green, north London, in which two Jewish men were injured. Police have charged a man in connection with the attack.
Separately, the UK’s terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely within the next six months.
Security officials have stressed the change is not solely linked to the stabbing incident.
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