PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   On Thursday, Britain elevated its national terrorism threat level to “severe” in the aftermath of the antisemitic stabbing incident in Golders Green, cautioning that a subsequent terrorist attack is now deemed “highly likely” within the next six months.

A day after two individuals were stabbed in north London—an event police have officially classified as a terrorist incident—the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) raised the U.K. National Threat Level from “substantial” to “severe.”

Authorities stated that this decision was not based solely on the Golders Green attack but reflects a broader surge in extreme right-wing terrorism across Britain.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called Wednesday’s violence an “abhorrent, antisemitic attack” and noted that the elevated threat level would be a source of concern for many, “particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much.”

Police reported that officers were dispatched to Highfield Avenue in the Barnet borough around 11:16 a.m. on Wednesday following reports of multiple stabbings.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said two men, aged 76 and 34, were treated for stab wounds at the scene before being taken to a hospital, where they remain and are “being looked after.”

On Thursday, police identified the suspect as 45-year-old Essa Suleiman. According to police, Suleiman is a British national born in Somalia with a “history of serious violence and mental health issues.”

The Home Office noted that the threat-level increase comes against a backdrop of rising terrorism in the U.K.

On Thursday, protesters gathered on Downing Street to voice concerns that insufficient action has been taken to protect the Jewish community.

In response to the attack and a recent rise in antisemitic arson attacks in London, the government announced an additional £25 million in funding to safeguard Jewish communities, bringing this year’s total support to £58 million. Officials said the funds will be used to boost police patrols and enhance protective security at synagogues, schools, and community centers.

The funding will also support the expansion of Project Servator, which deploys specialist and plainclothes officers trained to spot suspicious behavior and identify individuals preparing to commit serious crimes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the British government cannot credibly claim to be combating antisemitism unless it also confronts what he described as “explicit incitement against the Jewish state.”

“Hate slogans and anti-Semitic marches in the streets of London aren’t ‘free speech’. They are incitement,” he wrote on X. “They bring terror directed against Jews.
They must be banned. The phrase ‘Globalise the Intifada’, means killing Jews everywhere. It must be banned.”

“This is what the British government must immediately do to fight antisemitism. Otherwise, it’s just more empty words.”

Taylor said the attack has now been formally classified as terrorism, and counterterrorism officers are working with security services to establish the full circumstances and develop a complete intelligence picture.

“Whilst I must stress this investigation is at an early stage, we are working quickly to understand exactly what happened,” Taylor said.

A statement posted on X by Shomrim, a volunteer neighborhood watch group in Orthodox Jewish communities, said the suspect was seen “armed with a knife” on Golders Green Road and was detained by members before police arrived.

Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said officers “swiftly Tasered and arrested the suspect before he could cause further harm,” adding that investigators are “considering all possible motives” and will maintain a visible police presence in the area.

The U.K. was last at the “severe” threat level in November 2021, following the Liverpool Women’s Hospital bombing and the killing of lawmaker Sir David Amess, before it was lowered to “substantial” in February 2022.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, calling attacks on Jewish residents “an attack on Britain,” while London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there is “no place for antisemitism” in the city.

‘ Bradford Betz and