The terrorism threat level in the UK has been increased by the government from “substantial” to “severe” – meaning that a terrorist attack is considered highly likely in the next six months.
It comes after two Jewish men were stabbed in north London on Wednesday in an attack the Metropolitan Police is treating as a terrorist incident.
The government said on Thursday evening that the increase in the threat level was not solely as a result of the Golders Green attack, but had also been “driven by an increase in broader Islamist and extreme right-wing” threats.
Wednesday’s attack is the latest in a string of incidents targeting the UK Jewish community.
The last time the threat level was considered severe was in February 2022.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the raising of the threat level “will be a source of concern to many, particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much”.
But she insisted the government “will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism”, noting an earlier announcement increasing funding for policing and security around Jewish sites.
“As the threat level rises, I urge everyone to be vigilant, as they go about their daily lives, and report any concerns they have to the police,” Mahmood added.
The head of the Met’s counter-terrorism unit told reporters outside New Scotland Yard shortly after the level was raised that the UK had been “experiencing a gradual terrorist threat for some time”.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “Our casework is increasing across a number of ideologies, and within that, we are seeing an elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions in the UK.
“We’re also working against an unpredictable global situation that has consequences closer to home, including physical threats by state linked actors.”
Taylor said police will be reviewing “all events across the country”.
Essa Suleiman, 45, remains in police custody having been arrested on the suspicion of attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, in Wednesday’s attack.
The Metropolitan Police said he had been referred to Prevent – a key part of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy – in 2020 but the case was shelved later the same year.
Police also believe the suspect may have been involved in an earlier incident in south-east London on Tuesday.
It comes after a spate of incidents in recent months targeting the UK Jewish community.–BBC
