Ex-Military Guards Deployed to Protect UK Jewish Sites

Jewish schools and synagogues in Britain are now being guarded by former military personnel, as communities move beyond traditional security measures following a wave of antisemitic attacks. 

For years, Jewish institutions relied on volunteer patrols and standard security guards. Now, according to reports in The Sunday Times and The Jewish Chronicle, some sites are being protected by veterans from elite British military units, reflecting a growing sense that existing measures are no longer sufficient.

The reports say the Community Security Trust (CST), which distributes government funding for Jewish community protection, engaged a private contractor whose staff largely come from the armed forces, including the Royal Navy and British Army. The deployment has been observed in north London and Manchester, and follows earlier use of similar personnel after the October 2025 attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

The escalation follows a series of recent incidents targeting Jews in Britain. On April 29, a man allegedly stabbed two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, in the Golders Green area of north London. The suspect, 45-year-old Essa Suleiman, was charged with attempted murder and additional offenses, including a separate attempted stabbing earlier the same day in Southwark. He remains in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on May 15.

In response, Britain’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the national threat level from “substantial” to “severe” on April 30. The government said the change was “not solely” due to the Golders Green attack and that the threat had been rising “for some time,” citing a broader increase in extremist activity.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the stabbing as an “abhorrent, antisemitic attack” and a “vile act of terrorism,” announcing an additional £25 million in funding for Jewish community security. The funding brings total government support for such measures this year to £58 million, with expanded patrols and additional protective measures planned around synagogues and schools.

Authorities are also investigating a series of related incidents, including an arson attack on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green and attempted petrol bombings at synagogues in Finchley and Kenton. An online group suspected of links to Iranian proxies has claimed responsibility for several attacks, though officials have not publicly established a definitive connection to Tehran.

The CST warned that the recent wave of incidents is “unprecedented and completely unacceptable,” as it moves to further increase security measures in coordination with police and government agencies. Its latest annual report recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, one of the highest totals ever documented in the UK.

The attacks have also triggered a political dispute over policing, after Green Party figure Zack Polanski questioned whether officers used “proportionate force” during the suspect’s arrest, drawing criticism from Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer separately condemned chants of “globalise the intifada” at protests, amid growing concern over threats to British Jews.

As the investigation continues, Jewish institutions across the UK remain under heightened protection, with former military personnel now playing a visible role in securing community life.