Golders Green Stabbing Shakes London’s Jewish Community

Shock and frustration are rippling through London’s Jewish community after yesterday (Wednesday)’s terror stabbing in Golders Green. Overnight, London Police said the assailant is a 45-year-old British citizen, born in Somalia. Late last night, security forces raided an address in the city’s southeast linked to the suspect to collect additional evidence.

The two victims, Shlomo Rand (34) and Moshe Schein (76), are now hospitalized in stable condition. Rand, a real-estate professional with dual British-American citizenship, was attacked on his way to work just after Shacharit. Rand’s sister described the terrifying moments in an interview with the "Daily Mail": "My brother was walking calmly down the street when the terrorist pounced on him just because of his Jewish appearance. Doctors told us that if the knife had moved one centimeter to the side, it would have hit vital organs." She added that while the U.S. consulate has already reached out, the British government has yet to do so.

The second victim, Moshe Schein, a retiree known in the neighborhood as a quiet, modest man, was stabbed while waiting for a bus on his way back from the synagogue. A friend said Schein is suffering from a serious neck injury and that his family, including his daughter-in-law who was almost hurt herself, is in deep distress.

The group "Ashab al-Yamin," which is linked to Iran, quickly claimed responsibility for the incident, but police currently assess that the attacker acted alone. The attacker is well known to the authorities and previously served prison time for violent offenses. He had been under the supervision of the government’s counter-extremism agency, a fact that raises tough questions about the ability to prevent the attack in advance.

The person who prevented an even greater tragedy was Yonatan Elkobi (33), a volunteer with Shomrim and a father of five. In an interview with "The Telegraph," he recounted the moments of the takedown: "I used my car to block his path. He waved a knife at me, and we made eye contact. I knew I had to act and lunged at him along with the police." Elkobi added a pointed critique: "It’s nice when politicians come for photo ops, but we need real protection. We’re strong, but our community is exposed and vulnerable right now."

Anger in the neighborhood peaked with a march of about 150 residents, who called on the government to act against the surge in antisemitism. Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting and promised to increase funding for security at Jewish institutions. "We must get to the roots of extremism," he declared. Starmer promised to visit Golders Green soon to express solidarity with the Jewish community.