Police: Israeli-themed London restaurant attack likely ‘not a hate crime’

Police have said that damage to an Israeli-themed restaurant in Golders Green appears to have been linked to an attempted burglary – not to a hate crime.

Officers noticed damage to a window at Darna on Golders Green Road at 8.30am on Thursday morning, following an incident in the early hours.

“Initial enquiries suggest that the incident happened at 05:30hrs this morning and is an attempted burglary,” said a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman. “There was no evidence to suggest that it was a hate crime.”

The owner had been informed and will be kept updated as the investigation progresses, she said, adding: “Anyone with information or footage relating to this incident… should call police on 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting 1557/26OCT.

“To remain 100% anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.”

Darna, a popular kosher restaurant in London, says its menu is “inspired by Israeli cuisine”, leading to speculation that it had been attacked in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

However, Jewish security bosses were quick to advise against false conclusions.

In a statement, the Community Security Trust (CST), the charity charged with protecting the UK’s Jewish community, said it was “working with police to determine the exact nature and motivation of the incident”.

It added: “We would ask people not to speculate until the facts are established. We will issue a further update in due course.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited the restaurant three days after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, to show his solidarity with the Jewish community.