The United Kingdom’s Chief Rabbi stated on Sunday, 19th April 2026 that British Jews are facing “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation” after attempted arson at a London synagogue, the latest in a string of similar attacks.
The incident that caused minor damage to Kenton United Synagogue on Saturday night follows a series of blazes at Jewish-linked premises and an Iranian opposition outlet that are being investigated by counterterror police.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote on X that “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum.”
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…
— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) April 19, 2026
“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,” he added.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attacks and promised that “those responsible will be found and brought to justice.”
London’s Metropolitan Police force said it has sent extra uniformed and plainclothes officers to northwest London after attacks in the past month on synagogues. Jewish charity ambulances and a Persian language media organisation critical of Iran’s government.
The Kenton synagogue arson came a day after an attempt to ignite bottles of fluid outside the former offices of a Jewish charity on Friday night.
However, no one has been injured in any of the incidents. Numerous people of different age groups have been arrested and charged against the crime.
The Police official stated that they have not formally linked the incidents, but Counter Terrorism Policing London is heading out the investigations due to “similar circumstances and online claims of responsibility.”
Online posts suggest responsibility in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Israel’s government has described the group, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a recently formed association with suspected links to “an Iranian Proxy” that has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The group also shared a video online claiming Israel’s London embassy was going to be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances. Police said the embassy was not attacked, but the force shut down the nearby Kensington Gardens park on Friday as officers examined discarded items, consisting of two jars containing powder. The officials said nothing harmful was found.
The United Kingdom has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s M15 domestic intelligence service says that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year to October.
Some security experts suggest that Harkat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia is expected to have a flag of convenience instead of a coherent group, and its claims should be treated with caution.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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