Kenton synagogue targeted in suspected arson attack

A synagogue in Kenton, north-west London, was firebombed late on Saturday night, marking the third suspected arson attack on Jewish sites in the capital in as many days.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Shaftesbury Avenue shortly after reports of a blaze at the building. The fire was brought under control and damage is understood to be limited. No injuries have been reported.

According to an unnamed witness, a petrol bomb was thrown through a window, causing damage to a medical room inside.

The incident follows similar attacks at Finchley Reform Synagogue and the former Jewish Futures building in Hendon earlier this week.

A CST spokesperson said: “We are aware of another attempted arson, this time targeting a synagogue in north London, following similar recent incidents targeting the Jewish community in Finchley, Golders Green and Hendon. We want to thank the Met Police and London Fire Brigade for responding quickly and for all they are doing to protect the Jewish community during this unprecedented period. We are supporting the affected location and are working closely with the police as they investigate and seek to identify those responsible.”

Saul Taylor, President of the United Synagogue, said: “We are yet again deeply saddened by the arson attacks that have taken place this weekend, including the attack on Kenton United Synagogue, one of our own communities.

“A synagogue is not just a building, it is a place of worship, community and – theoretically – safety. To target it in this way is a deeply disturbing act that strikes at the heart of Jewish life. Thank God no one was hurt and we are grateful to the emergency services and Community Security Trust for their swift response today.

“The Government and local police forces have responded well to the recent appalling attacks including Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation and Hatzola ambulances, but it is clear that more must be done to prevent these attacks occurring at all. The Prime Minister should declare publicly what the Jewish community has known for some time: this is an epidemic of anti-Jewish hate.

“The Kenton community and the wider United Synagogue will not be deterred. Despite their shul being closed, just this morning, led by Rabbi Yehuda Black, the community held a busy shacharit minyan in a different location. They look forward to being back in their shul home very soon.

“We will not be intimidated, and we will remain strong and united in the face of hatred.”

The latest attack comes amid a series of recent security incidents affecting London’s Jewish community, including an arson attack on an ambulance in Golders Green and a reported drone threat near the Israeli embassy.

A terrorist group calling itself ‘Ashab Al-Yamin’ has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, having also claimed to be behind a series of recent firebombings in London, including the attack on Hatzola ambulances last month and Finchley Reform Synagogue last week.

A statement from the group described Kenton United Synagogue as “one of the centres of Zionist influence in the British capital, accusing it of promoting “the usurpist Zionist ideology”. The statement also named the Synagogue’s Rabbi and Chairwoman.

Speaking outside Kenton United Synagogue, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said:

“As the conflict in the Middle East continues to evolve, Counter Terrorism Policing and our partners remain alive to the threat of Iranian state aggression in the UK. We are aware of public reporting that this group may have links to Iran. As you would expect we will explore the question of motivation and direction as our investigations continue.

“I have spoken at length of the Iranian regime’s routine uses of criminal proxies.

“We are considering whether this tactic is being used here in London – recruiting violence as a service. Individuals carrying out these crimes often have no allegiance to the cause and are taking quick cash for their crimes.

“To anyone even considering getting involved – my message to you would be this – the stakes are high – and it is absolutely not worth the risk for a small reward…We will not rest until those responsible for these acts are held to full account.”

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism described the situation as “a spate of daily arson attacks on the Jewish community” and warned of escalating risks.

“It betrays a cataclysmic failure of the state – politicians, police chiefs and prosecutors – to tackle antisemitic extremism in this country,” the spokesperson said. “Britain is fundamentally a different country now.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I am appalled by recent attempted antisemitic arson attacks in North London.  This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated.

“Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain.  We are increasing visible policing and those responsible will be found and brought to justice. We will not rest in the pursuit of perpetrators.”

In a statement issued this morning on Twitter/X, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: “Last night yet another synagogue, this time in Kenton, was targeted in a cowardly arson attack. It follows the attack in Finchley on Wednesday and the attempted attack on what was the Jewish Futures building in Hendon on Friday night, making three Jewish sites attacked in London in less than a week.

“A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum. This sustained attack on our community’s ability to worship and live in safety is an attack on the values that bind us all together. 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.”

Scott Saunders, chief executive of International March of the Living, said: “Just days ago, we stood alongside Yoni Finlay at the March of the Living, a survivor of a shooting attack on Yom Kippur in Manchester. His story is not history. It is happening now, here in the UK.

“How much more needs to happen before Jews can pray safely, before children can go to school without fear? How long will British society tolerate years of escalating threats that are increasingly turning into violence?”

Expressing his alarm at “how normalized this has become in the UK and across parts of Europe”, he added: “Jewish communities should not be expected to live under constant protection while those driving this hatred are allowed to operate freely. The writing has been on the wall before, and it must not be written again in blood. Protecting Jewish institutions is not enough. There must be a far more determined effort to stop those driving this hatred before it turns into even greater violence.”

Writing on Twitter/X, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he remains in regular contact with the Met Police, “who have stepped up resources following a series of arson attacks in north west London. There will be a significantly increased police presence in the area, including around Jewish places of worship and businesses.  There is no place for anti-semitism in our city, and the perpetrators of these despicable attacks will face the full force of the law. London will always stand united against those seeking to divide us.”

Police have not yet confirmed whether the three synagogue fires are being treated as linked, but counter-terrorism officers are understood to be assessing the incidents and local media report forensics are at the scene.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact the Metropolitan Police.