Four Ambulances From London Jewish Volunteer Group Set Ablaze in ‘Shocking Antisemitic Attack’

Four ambulances belonging to a London Jewish volunteer group, Hatzola, were set on fire overnight Sunday in what officials are calling an antisemitic attack.The ambulances were set ablaze early Monday outside a synagogue in London’s Golders Green neighborhood — home to London’s largest Jewish community. No injuries were reported. By Monday afternoon, more than £500,000, or roughly $672,000, had been raised for the volunteer EMS group, which serves both Jews and non-Jewish individuals. A resident who lives near the scene of the fires, Yitzy Efune, tells the Sun that his family had to evacuate their building around 2 a.m. due to the arson attack. He described the blaze as a “massive fire,” and the damage extended beyond just ambulances. There was also, he said, an explosion that shattered glass in his building. Law enforcement told reporters that CCTV footage showed three individuals pouring liquid on the ambulances before setting them on fire. The explosions were likely the result of gas canisters on board the ambulances exploding, police officials said.A British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, reported that a group linked to Iran, Ashab al-Yamin, has claimed credit for the fires. Hours after the attack, people gathered outside the police cordon at the scene to protest Iran.The detective chief superintendent of the Metropolitan Police, Luke Williams, told reporters that probing the authenticity of the claim will be a “priority for the investigation,” but said law enforcement had not confirmed it. In the meantime, he said that the attack was not being treated as a “terrorist incident.”He added that there have been no arrests as of Monday afternoon, but said there is a manhunt for three suspects. The chairman of Hatzola Northwest, Shloimie Richman, told CNN that the ambulances were “deliberately targeted in an arson attack.”Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X, “This is a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack. My thoughts are with the Jewish community, who are waking up this morning to this horrific news. Antisemitism has no place in our society.”The leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, wrote on X, “What kind of person targets Hatzola, a volunteer-run ambulance service? Just last week in Golders Green, members of the Jewish community told me how they live in fear of constant attacks.“The police must find those responsible,” she said. “A hatred of Jews is growing in our country and all of us need to make it clear in our words and actions that Britain will not tolerate antisemitism.”The justice minister, Shabana Mahmood, told members of Parliament that those responsible for the attack will “face consequences” for the “wicked crime.”“The perpetrators must be in no doubt: we will pursue them and make them face the consequences of this wicked crime,” she said. Mr. Starmer met with representatives from Hatzola and members of the Jewish community to offer his assurances that the government was taking action to combat antisemitism. After the meeting, the chief executive of the board of deputies of British Jews, Michael Wegier, told reporters that Jews in England “should feel safe but anxious.”“I don’t think any of us would say we feel as safe as we did five years ago. There’s clearly been a decline, the figures show that,” he said. “I am not sensing hysteria or panic in the Jewish community. The resilience is cutting through. But I think I have to be honest — we are feeling less safe than we did a few years ago.”Mr. Efune told the Sun that despite the attack, he feels safe in the city. “I put my faith in God Almighty, that he protects,” Mr. Efune said, and added, “Generally, when I walk the streets where I live, I feel safe. There [are] very Jewish neighbors … I’m not like afraid to walk on the streets, not in my area.”The health secretary has said the government will provide replacement ambulances for Hatzola.

Four Ambulances From London Jewish Volunteer Group Set Ablaze in ‘Shocking Antisemitic Attack’

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