LONDON — Britain’s highest-ranking rabbi issued a stark warning Sunday about escalating threats against Jewish communities following weekend arson attempts targeting a London synagogue, marking the newest incident in an ongoing series of similar attacks.
Saturday evening’s fire attempt caused limited damage to Kenton United Synagogue and represents part of a troubling pattern of blazes at Jewish-connected facilities and an Iranian opposition media outlet currently under counterterrorism investigation.
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the nation’s chief rabbi, posted on X that “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum.”
“Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society,” he added.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed being “appalled” by the incidents and promised that “those responsible will be found and brought to justice.”
London’s Metropolitan Police has deployed additional uniformed and undercover officers throughout northwest London following last month’s attacks targeting synagogues, Jewish charity emergency vehicles, and a Persian-language news organization that criticizes Iran’s regime.
The Kenton synagogue incident occurred just one day after someone attempted to set fire to bottles containing flammable liquid outside a former Jewish charity building Friday evening.
All incidents have resulted in zero injuries. Authorities have arrested and filed charges against multiple suspects whose ages span from teenagers to individuals in their forties.
While police have not officially connected these incidents, Counter Terrorism Policing London is spearheading all investigations due to “similar circumstances and online claims of responsibility.”
Internet posts have attributed responsibility to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Israeli officials characterize this organization, whose name translates to the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a newly established group with suspected ties to “an Iranian proxy” that has also taken credit for synagogue attacks across Belgium and the Netherlands.
The organization additionally released a video threatening Israel’s London embassy with drone attacks using hazardous materials. Though no embassy attack occurred, authorities closed nearby Kensington Gardens park Friday while officers investigated abandoned items including two containers holding powder. Police determined the materials posed no danger.
Britain has accused Iran of employing criminal networks to execute attacks across European territory, specifically targeting opposition media and Jewish communities. The UK’s MI5 domestic intelligence agency reports disrupting over 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-supported plots during the year ending in October.
Security analysts suggest Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia may represent a convenience label rather than an organized entity, cautioning that their statements require careful scrutiny.
