London police create specialist team to protect Jewish community

LONDON: British police are creating a new specialist unit of 100 officers, including counter-terrorism experts, to help safeguard Jewish communities across London following a series of anti-Semitic attacks, among them the stabbing of two men.

The plan for a dedicated protection team was announced on Wednesday as police also disclosed further arrests linked to anti-Semitism. These included the detention of a 35-year-old man after rocks were thrown at an ambulance belonging to the Jewish community.

London’s most senior police officer, Mark Rowley, said Jewish communities were facing sustained threats from hostile state actors, as well as from extreme right-wing groups and elements of the extreme left.

"This new team will be primarily focused on protecting the Jewish community, which faces some of the highest levels of hate crime alongside significant terrorist and hostile state threats," London’s Metropolitan Police force said in a statement.

Recent attacks under investigation

Police said there have been several high-profile arson attacks since late March. In those incidents, four Jewish ambulances were burned and synagogues were targeted.

Last week, two Jewish men were also stabbed. Both survived the attack, according to police.

Detectives are examining whether the arson incidents may have possible Iranian links. The development comes after British security officials warned that Iran was using criminal proxies to carry out hostile activity.

Over the past four weeks, police said they had arrested around 50 people over anti-Semitic hate crimes and charged eight individuals.

In addition, 28 arrests have been made in investigations being conducted alongside counter-terrorism policing in relation to arson and other serious incidents.

Government response

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a meeting on Monday with business, health and cultural leaders aimed at addressing anti-Semitism.

The newly announced police team comes amid heightened concern over the security of Jewish communities in the British capital after the recent attacks and arrests detailed by the Metropolitan Police.

Authorities said the unit would include officers with specialist expertise, reflecting what police described as the scale of the threats facing the community. The force linked the move to both hate crime risks and broader security concerns involving terrorism and hostile state activity.

The announcement was made as investigations continue into the recent incidents, including the arson attacks, the stabbing of two Jewish men, and the case involving rocks being thrown at a Jewish ambulance.