Closing summary
This blog is now closing. Below is a roundup of this top story:
Officers were called to Highfield Road in Golders Green at about 1.45am on Monday after receiving reports of ambulances on fire near the Machzike Hadath synagogue.
The torched emergency vehicles were run by Hatzola Northwest, a Jewish charity established in 1979 and run by volunteers providing free medical transportation and emergency response to Jewish and non-Jewish people in north London.
Keir Starmer called for communities to “all stand together” in the face of the “horrific antisemitic attack”. He said: “My thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with those in the vicinity, the residents who are understandably very concerned, the Jewish community across the country deeply concerned.”
The Met said the incident was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation. Security agencies are investigating whether a group linked to Iran is behind an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in north London.
The Metropolitan police said efforts to authenticate a claim of responsibility made by a group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) were a “priority” as they sought to track three hooded people caught on CCTV at the scene.
Security sources have cautioned against a rush to tie Iran to the arson, leaving open the possibility of an antisemitic attack with no link to Iran or any organised group. It has not so far been designated as a terrorist incident.
Here is our full report
An Al Jazeera news crew was forced to leave the scene of the arson attack after a crowd chanted “go home”.
Footage from Reuters appears to show one man telling a crew member: “Go take your briefcase, go take your Al Jazeera equipment and go. No one wants Al Jazeera here.” Another man tells him: “Go back to Qatar” before he leaves. It is not clear how the altercation started.
Later, the crowd chants “Al Jazeera off our streets” and “go home”. At one point, someone appears to shout “terrorists”.
One police officer tells the crowd: “They’re reporting the news” before one man says: “We feel threatened by Al Jazeera being here. We feel threatened. We don’t feel safe.
“The reporting is going to go to potential terrorists. That’s why we don’t want to see that on our streets. For our safety, please remove them from our streets.”
Updated
Scotland’s first minister has said he was “horrified” by the arson attacks.
In a post on X on Monday afternoon John Swinney said: “I am horrified to see the attacks on the Jewish community charity ambulances in London. Violence and antisemitism are completely unacceptable in our society.
“I extend my sympathy to the Jewish community at this attack.”
I am horrified to see the attacks on the Jewish community charity ambulances in London. Violence and anti-Semitism are completely unacceptable in our society. I extend my sympathy to the Jewish community at this attack.
— John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) March 23, 2026
Laurence Blitz, chair of trustees for volunteer paramedic organisation Hatzolah UK, has said the service “continues unbroken” in the aftermath of the Golders Green arson attack.
In a statement, Blitz said: “What happened overnight is shocking in the extreme. The emergency services were magnificent and we are deeply grateful. However, our phones haven’t stopped, our volunteers are responding to call outs, and our service continues unbroken.
“We have no time to grieve. We are grateful to the London ambulance service and St John Ambulance who have loaned us vehicles, to the government who offered to replace the ambulances we have lost, and to the health secretary and our MP for their support. Our schools are open, our shuls are full, our shops, cafes and restaurants busy; life goes on.”
The Rt Revd Dr Anderson Jeremiah, the Bishop of Edmonton and the Diocese of London’s racial lead, has said “the fragile bonds” of communities were being “wilfully undermined” as he condemned the Golders Green attack.
Jeremiah said: “There is absolutely no place for antisemitism in our society. We have seen a steady and alarming increase in antisemitic hate crimes across the country, fuelled by increasingly polarized rhetoric. The fragile bonds of our community are being wilfully undermined by those who seek to sow fear and anxiety among minority groups.
“The events of last night serve as a sobering reminder of how deeply we are all connected, and how global tensions can manifest as local tragedies. Earlier today, I visited Damon Hoff, President and Chair of Machzike Hadath Synagogue. His congregation sits directly adjacent to where these ambulances were set ablaze — a chilling proximity that underscores the gravity of the threat faced by our community.
“As a resident of Golders Green, I am appalled by the cowardly and mindless arson attack on a local medical emergency charity last night. This act of violence is a direct assault on the values of care and compassion that define our neighbourhood.
“Targeting a charity dedicated to providing emergency medical aid to anyone in need —regardless of background — exposes not only a profound moral bankruptcy but a dangerous desire to divide us. We must stand firm against the fringe elements seeking to fracture our peace. As Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”, may we actively seek peace and love in our midst.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with our Jewish neighbours. Let there be peace.”
Updated
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has said the government “must do a lot more to fight antisemitism” in his response to Jarvis’s statement on the attack, where he also launched a diatribe against “Islamists” and called for the UK to leave the EHRC and “remove all illegal immigrants within a week of their arrival”.
Philp began by telling the Commons: “We have seen a recent antisemitic murder and a surge in antisemitism, but too little has been done, as this morning’s outrage demonstrates.”
He then went on to say “antisemitism often goes hand in hand with Islamist extremism” before claiming that “94% of terrorist murders in the last 25 years were perpetrated by Islamists and yet only 10% of the Prevent caseload is Islamist”.
Philp then mentioned “unvetted” people coming to the UK on small boats, calling it a “national security crisis” before calling on the UK to leave the European convention on human rights.
“If we are serious about protecting the public, we must leave the ECHR and remove all illegal immigrants within a week of their arrival,” he said.
Updated
Ending his statement, Jarvis adressed the Jewish community, saying the government “will do everything in our power to keep you and your family safe”.
He said: “Whether you live here in London or in any part of the United Kingdom, please know that we stand with you. We are here for you, and we will do everything in our power to keep you and your family safe, not just today after this appalling incident, but every day.”
Updated
Jarvis said: “The prime minister has been clear that this government will lead the way, including through a relentless national security effort which is being mounted around the clock by MI5 and the police, who of course, have our full backing in their work to detect and disrupt plots targeting the Jewish community in our country.”
Jarvis said: “Now shocking though it was to wake to this morning’s developments, I know that for many, this outrage will not have come as a surprise, occurring as it has at a time of profound distress and vulnerability within our Jewish communities.
“Now, given the vicious torrent of antisemitism that was unleashed following the October 7 attacks, a dreadful manifestation of which we saw to our horror in Manchester last year when Heaton Park Hebrew congregation synagogue was the subject of a sickening act of terrorism on Yom Kippur.
“Today, as at that profoundly difficult moment, and as in the aftermath of the subsequent atrocity on Bondi Beach in Sydney, we declare once more that we stand with our Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbours. And with the oldest hatred on the rise, we assert our unwavering commitment to defeat it.”
Jarvis said: “As the home secretary has told the House earlier, support for the Jewish community in London is being stepped up. The police have the unshakable backing of this government.
Security minister Dan Jarvis is giving a statement on the attack in the Commons now.
He said police are treating the attack as an antisemitic hate crime.
“The investigation is now being led by counter-terrorism policing, although I should emphasise that this has not been declared a terrorist incident at this stage. No arrests have been made,” he said.
Updated
One Golders Green resident has said it is important to “stand up for the right values and join together on things that bind us” in the wake of the arson attack.
Sheina, 31, who did not want to give her last name for safety reasons, told PA Media: “Just because three people decided to do something that’s hate-filled, does not mean my sense of safety should be threatened.
“I feel like Jews are always framed as victims because we get targeted, but I think it’s also important to point out that Jews are very strong people.
“We just want to live in peace with everyone, and it would be in everybody’s best interest for themselves to do so as well.”
She added: “People should be aware that the atmosphere of appeasement leads to this.
“It is important that people stand up for the right values and join together on things that bind us together and not stay quiet and let what happened in Nazi Germany happen again.”
Kemi Badenoch said an antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green on Monday morning demonstrated “an increase in the hatred of Jews”.
The Conservative party leader said: “Showing action, not just words, I think, is what Jewish people want to see.”
Badenoch told PA Media while on a visit to King’s Lynn, Norfolk: “It’s quite clear that there is a particular problem with rising attacks on Jewish people. There is an increase in the hatred of Jews.”
She added: “I think that we need to do more than just telling Jewish people to have more security. I think it’s appalling that I go to Jewish primary schools and they’ve got security guards standing outside.”
Badenoch’s comments on the attack comes days after she backed her shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, after he claimed that Islamic prayers taking place in public are intimidating, un-British and an “act of domination”, comments that have been roundly condemned as Islamophobic.
Keir Starmer claimed they showed the Conservative party “has a problem with Muslims”.
Updated
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to “pursue” anybody who may have attacked Hatzola in north-west London, and “make them face the consequences of this wicked crime”.
She told the Commons that “mercifully, no one was hurt” in the incident.
“And for that, we owe our thanks to the police and fire services who responded with speed and professionalism,” Mahmood continued.
“An investigation is underway. We know the Metropolitan Police are treating this as an antisemitic hate crime and have stepped up their support to Jewish communities across London.
“That the attack was directed at Hatzola, a community ambulance service, an institution devoted to saving lives, illustrates how warped those behind this attack are.
“I am pleased that the health secretary [Wes Streeting] is providing replacement ambulances but clearly justice is required.
“There have as yet been no arrests, but the perpetrators must be in no doubt - we will pursue them and make them face the consequences of this wicked crime.”
Volunteers with the Jewish ambulance service charity, Hatzola, said the community is still reeling from the attack this morning.
Yossi Pincus, a volunteer senior paramedic and the registered manager of the North West London Hatzola, said:
Everyone is still reeling from the attack. Despite what society has become, it is still not expected, but we soldier on.
It has been somewhat simmering under the surface. There has definitely been a significant rise in antisemitism, and there is an intrinsic problem nationwide that does need to be addressed urgently.
The blasts that boomed out in the early hours of Monday in suburban north-west London struck terror into people living in the surrounding streets. Their effects in Golders Green, with its large Jewish population, were still reverberating the following morning.
The antisemitic attack, in which four ambulances run by the Jewish charity Hatzola were set on fire, has left local people afraid. They are afraid because of the incident itself – but also because of what they see as a febrile atmosphere of antisemitism in the UK more generally.
“People are frightened. I am feeling vulnerable. If you had heard the explosions, it really was terrifying,” said Damon Hoff, the president of the Machzike Hadath synagogue; on whose land the ambulances were stationed.
Hoff, who was called to the scene in the immediate aftermath of the incident, said the UK’s Jewish community felt besieged – and constantly at the sharp end of events that were inherently global in nature. “I’m aware it is a global set of incidents; it is not just a UK or Jewish community issue. But, at the centre of the issue is the Jewish community.”
He said the site of the attack was locally recognised as the centre of the Golders Green’s Jewish community, saying: “Knock on any door around here, and they will know where the Hatzola ambulances are. There is no mincing words – this is an attack on the heart of this community.”
Asked to sum up how Golders Green was feeling the morning after, he said: “You are frightened, and you are feeling vulnerable. I’m here to represent a community that needs broad shoulders to rest on. The Jewish community has been under siege, and the streets of London are not good for Jewish people right now.”
Sam Adler, who lives nearby, added: “To target the heart of Golders Green is cynical and cowardly, because everyone knows why they have done it. One bit of negative press about Jews just gives them fuel to target us – there is no other reason.”
Updated
Forensic police officers are now carrying out searches alongside Brookside Road, near to the site where the ambulances were set ablaze.
The BBC reported that the arsonists used the area to flee after setting the ambulances ablaze, without explaining how they got that information. It said that officers were using cameras attached to telescopic poles to check house gutters.
Updated
Starmer says antisemitic arson attack an attack 'not just on Jewish community', but on everyone who values tolerance
Keir Starmer starts with a comment about the attack on the Jewish ambulance service overnight.
He says:
The idea that ambulances could be considered a target is simply horrendous. And I know the impact that that will have had on so many individuals, not just those, in the area …
The whole Jewish community, across the country, not least, because this is not an isolated incident and the rise of antisemitic hatred is there for all to see.
He confirms that the government will replace the ambulances. He goes on:
That is the right thing to do. But it also underscores what I think is a really important principle that this is not just an attack on the Jewish community, but it’s attack on all of us, on everyone who holds the fundamental British values of tolerance and respect.
Starmer says he has also discussed this today with Sarah Sackman, the constituency MP, and with Jewish leaders.
Keir Starmer met Jewish community leaders in Downing Street to discuss the Golders Green incident.
Asked if Jews in Britain should feel safe at the moment, after the meeting Michael Wegier, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told the Press Association: “Yes, we should feel safe but anxious, I think.
“There’s a very long, thousands of years, history of Jews who have, at the same time, felt anxious but felt resilient.
“I think resilience is the key word I would use to describe what the Jewish community needs now.
“I don’t think any of us would say we feel as safe as we did five years ago. There’s clearly been a decline, the figures show that.
“I am not sensing hysteria or panic in the Jewish community. The resilience is cutting through. But I think I have to be honest, we are feeling less safe than we did a few years ago.”
The Charity Commission said it is important for people to “speak out and stand with those being attacked”, following an incident of arson on ambulances which are part of the Hatzola charity.
The commission said it was offering “support and assistance” to the organisation to “support them in continuing the charity’s life-saving work”.
Its chief executive, David Holdsworth, said:
Our thoughts are with those affected by the horrendous attacks in north London. Such cowardly violence committed against those serving their community represents an attack on all of us: on the very meaning of charity, and on the respect, tolerance and community that are the hallmarks of the best of British society.
The Commission stands with the Jewish community and the organisations that work to keep Jewish people in this country safe.
When charities representing different parts of our society are increasingly victims of vilification and violence, it is for all of us to speak out and stand with those being attacked.
Charities always have been and are our greatest assets in tackling hatred, building stronger communities and a better society. We have offered support and assistance to the leaders of Hatzola Northwest Trust, the charity which runs the ambulance service, and will do what we can to support them in continuing the charity’s life-saving work.
A resident of Highfield Road, who did not want to be named, said he and his wife were evacuated last night after the arson attack on four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community
He said: “My wife was afraid for her life. People were shouting to just grab a bag and leave but did not tell us where to go. It was very scary and I’m still shaking now.”
He said there has been no communication with officials since he was evacuated this morning.
“We know people who live here with babies, and a lady who suffers from MS, and I haven’t been able to get in touch with them to check they are okay. I am so emotional about it.”
He added: “There is security at the synagogue during the day, but I am not sure at night. We need a fence or something to protect us now.”
People protesting against the Iranian regime attended outside the police cordon near Highfield Road.
Chants of “long live Iran”, “long live Israel”, and “IRGC terrorist - UK put them on the list” could be heard.
They were received with a round of applause and cheering.
A 34-year-old man who is part of the Machzike Hadath Synagogue’s leadership team, and did not want to give his name, told the Press Association he woke up in the middle of the night to hear some “very loud explosions”.
The resident said those at the synagogue have not yet been allowed inside the building to see the extent of the fire damage.
He said the building has some very old stained glass windows, adding: “They have blown out, we believe, by the force of the explosion.”
He described the situation as “scary”, adding: “But we are resilient - we are not going to back down.
“It’s not the first time that our presence has been threatened but we’re not going to back down. It emboldens us to keep going.”
A resident described the arson attack on four ambulances operated by a Jewish charity as “terrifying”.
Sam Denciger, 44, is part of the Shomrim, a volunteer-run neighbourhood watch group.
He lives near Highfield Road and described waking up to hear an explosion at around 1.40am, saying the noise “pulled us out of bed”.
Denciger told the Press Association:
As a local person, it’s terrifying.
I am part of the Shomrim as well so we do hear about antisemitic attacks but we’ve never heard of anything like this. We would never suspect it.
The road where the attack happened has been cordoned off with police tape.
The charity behind the ambulances, Hatzola Northwest, provides emergency medical care and hospital transfers for both Jewish and non-Jewish people in the area.
Updated
Ministers have been urged to proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) after reports that an Iran-linked group has claimed responsibility for an attack on four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity paramedic service.
The Jewish Leadership Council, an umbrella group for some of the UK’s largest Jewish organisations, has called for “emergency legislation” that would designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which protects the country’s theocratic regime with a combination of ground troops, paramilitary, naval and air forces, cyber command, and liaison with proxy groups.
Ministers said they would draw up new laws to proscribe the IRGC in May. British Iranian campaigners have also urged the UK government to proscribe the IRGC, but it has yet to happen.
Joshua Cass, JLC’s public affairs officer, said: “It’s been almost nine months since the home secretary promised to implement Jonathan Hall KC’s recommendations to create a new power of proscription to cover state threats. We want to see emergency legislation introduced to do that immediately.
“Not just for the Jewish community, but because there’s this massive gap in our national security infrastructure that the Terrorism Act doesn’t cover when it comes to groups who are state-backed or state-funded, like the IRGC.”
Describing the attack as “horrific” and “gutwrenching”, Cass said the feeling in the Jewish community was that “it’s one thing after another at the moment”, with the belief that the ambulance station represented an “easy target” in the early hours at a time when high levels of security around Jewish communal buildings was common.
He added: “It can’t just be a case of just securing Jewish buildings anymore with physical security - society needs to take action and government needs to be part of this.”
The video claiming responsibility circulated on social media purports to be from the Iran-linked Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia group, containing text in Hebrew, English and Arabic. The group has previously claimed responsibility for an attack on a synagogue in Belgium and an attack on a school in the Netherlands this month.
The Community Security Trust, which monitors security threats against jewish sites in the UK, said: “The antisemitic arson attack against Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green has obvious comparison to similar recent attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.”
Chief rabbi Mirvis said it is “highly lamentable” that synagogues, schools and other Jewish facilities “can now only function behind walls, behind gates”.
Asked if there is more the government could be doing to ensure the security of British Jews, he told the Press Association:
We are grateful for the significant amount of security which is being provided to us by our government in the same way as previous governments have provided, together with police forces.
You can never have too much security. The more we get, the better. Isn’t it highly lamentable that our synagogues, our schools, our Jewish facilities, can now only function behind walls, behind gates? But that’s the reality of the situation.
But together with that, while we are so shocked today and so saddened, nothing’s going to terrorise or intimidate us to stop functioning in genuine strength.
The Jewish community will not be “cowed” or “intimidated” following the overnight arson attack on ambulances in north London, the chief rabbi has said.
Ephraim Mirvis told the Press Association:
Our response is one of strength, of fortitude, of resilience. The synagogue alongside which this happened, they’re going to be back in action, afternoon service, evening service, today.
And in fact, our response will be not only to continue in strength, but we’re going to be much stronger, because we’re not going to be cowed.
We’re not going to be intimidated by terrorists, and this was a terrorist attack.
Nothing’s going to stop us from standing tall as Jews and behaving in a way, according to our tradition, as proud British citizens.
The Archbishop of Canterbury condemned the “appalling antisemitic attack” in London.
Dame Sarah Mullally said: “My prayers are with the Jewish community after the appalling antisemitic attack on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green.
“Such acts of violence, hatred and intimidation have no place in our society
Damon Hoff, president of Machzike Hadath Synagogue where the ambulances were parked, said the community was feeling vulnerable.
He said:
When you attack a place of worship, and you attack ambulances, you’re going for the very heart and core of what’s decent about this country, and there must be outrage for that.
The political establishment needs to know that there are many decent Britons that are going to feel vulnerable. In a time like this, this is, you need the very best of humanity.
The community is feeling vulnerable and feeling frightened, but we’re not going to let that get us down.
He added that several hundred worshipers attend the synagogue.
Hoff said:
The synagogue is over 120 years old. It has got a lot of provenance. I think part of the provenance is maybe one of the reasons why somebody’s claimed responsibility for the attack.
Updated
The London Fire Brigade received 56 calls about the fire attack on four Jewish community ambulances, which involved the explosion of several cylinders stored in the vehicles, a senior figure from the fire service said.
Giving a statement at the scene in Golders Green, Paul Askew, deputy assistant commissioner for the London Fire Brigade, said:
Early this morning, London Fire Brigade control room took the first of 56 calls reporting a fire on Highfield Road in Golders Green.
Upon arrival, crews were met with a well-developed fire involving four ambulances. Several cylinders stored within the vehicles exploded because of the heat, causing damage to the windows of a nearby residential block.
Residents from the immediate area were evacuated to a rest centre as a precaution while crews worked to bring the incident under control. The fire was safely extinguished overnight.
We understand the impact this fire will have on the local community, including our Jewish residents. The Brigade’s community engagement team attended the rest centre last night to support residents that have been directly impacted by the fire.
Alongside our firefighters, they will continue to work with and support the local community in the coming days.
Detective chief superintendent Williams said the Metropolitan Police will be “stepping up” support for Jewish communities across London following the attack.
He said:
We have already spoken to local community and faith leaders and will continue that work today. A specific policing plan focused on key community locations across the area is under way and will continue beyond the coming days as we move towards Passover in early April.
This attack comes at a time when fears are already heightened given global events and recent attacks targeting Jewish communities in other parts of Europe.
The Met Police stands shoulder to shoulder with our partners and communities. Together we take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime.
We are stepping up our support to Jewish communities across London to engage, offer reassurance and take practical action to protect people and property.
Counter-terrorism police leading investigation into Golders Green ambulance attack
Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into the arson of four Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green overnight, detective chief superintendent Luke Williams said.
Speaking at the scene of the fires, he said the attack has not been declared as a terrorist incident at this stage, while officers examine the authenticity of a claim of responsibility made online.
Police are looking for three hooded suspects and no arrests have yet been made.
He said:
We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage. CCTV footage appears to show three people in hoods pouring an accelerant on to the vehicles before igniting them and fleeing.
While this has not been declared a terrorist incident at this stage, the investigation is now being led by counter terrorism policing with all the specialist expertise they bring, and all lines of enquiry remain open.
We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack. Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team but it is not something we can confirm at this point.
There have been no arrests at this early stage, and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible - you can do so anonymously if you wish.
Barry Rawlings, the Labour leader of Barnet Council, said the attack was “abhorrent”.
In a statement, he said:
We are deeply shocked and appalled by this antisemitic attack in the heart of our Jewish community. The deliberate targeting of Hatzola’s volunteer ambulances, in what the police are treating as a suspected arson attack, is abhorrent. We will do everything in our power to support the police to bring those responsible to justice.
Our thoughts are first and foremost with those affected - the volunteers who dedicate their time to saving lives and to our wider community who will feel understandably shaken and distressed by this attack.
Hate crime in any form will not be tolerated in our borough. An attack on one part of our community is an attack on us all. We stand in full solidarity with our Jewish residents and with all the other communities who make up Golders Green and who are feeling vulnerable today as a result of this cowardly act.
Thank you to the London Fire Brigade and the police who have been dealing with the incident and to my Barnet Council colleagues who have been working throughout the early hours as part of the response to this incident.
We are now focused on working closely with the police and our community partners to bring those responsible to justice.
We are expecting a statement from the Metropolitan Police on the arson attack shortly.
Keep following for that.
Sarah Sackman, Labour Finchley and Golders Green MP and courts minister, condemned “the despicable, cowardly, antisemitic arson attack”.
She said:
I am horrified by the arson attack on Hatzola NW ambulances in Golders Green overnight. This is a despicable, cowardly, antisemitic act, which the police are treating as a hate crime.
Hatzola NW is staffed by dedicated volunteers who save lives from all communities. I know that many people across Finchley and Golders Green will have turned to Hatzola NW in their hour of need.
The perpetrators must feel the full force of the law. The police are appealing for witnesses and evidence. If you have seen or know anything, please contact them immediately on 1010 quoting CAD415.
The British Medical Association (BMA) criticised “deliberate attacks on healthcare services” as “reprehensible” after Jewish community ambulances were set on fire in London.
BMA council chairman Tom Dolphin said:
We are appalled to see this attack on ambulances that provide an important service to people in north London.
Antisemitism is abhorrent, and deliberate attacks on healthcare services are reprehensible, and this horrendous incident involves both. It is a relief that no-one was injured, but this makes the attack no less sickening.
Our thoughts are with the Jewish community in north London and across the UK.
Streeting said London Ambulance Service would be providing additional support to ensure that “we don’t miss a beat” responding to emergency callouts.
The government will also fund the replacement of four Jewish community ambulances, he said.
Speaking about the attack from north London, Streeting said the prime minister and home secretary would have more to say, adding:
But when it comes to our response today, to support our friends in the community with the ambulance service, with London Ambulance Service, will today be providing additional support to make sure that the charity is supported to respond to anyone in need.
So the important message to the local Jewish community, indeed, to Londoners more widely, if you need help from the ambulance service, that they seek it, we will be there for you, but the Jewish community should not be left footing the bill for this despicable attack, which is why tomorrow morning, at the latest, we will have four ambulances in place to replace those that have been destroyed, and we’ll be working to replace those ambulances on a permanent basis, and we will fund the replacement of those ambulances.
Those responsible for this attack must know that the Jewish community will not face up to this hatred alone. The whole country will stand with them.
An attack on four Jewish community ambulances was aimed at making British Jews “be less visible” and “fear going about” their lives, Wes Streeting said as he pledged extra health support.
Speaking at the scene of the attack in north London, the health secretary said:
The aim of these attackers is clear. They want Jewish people in this country to live smaller lives, to live less Jewish lives, to be less visible as Jewish people, to fear going about Jewish life.
He added:
I know that the Jewish community will not be cowed by this despicable act of evil, but it is the responsibility of the rest of us not to be bystanders.
Every decent person in this country needs to stand up and speak up against this vile antisemitic hatred.
And of course, the best form of solidarity is practical solidarity, which is why today, our London Ambulance Service colleagues will be providing support to the team here in Golders Green to make sure that we don’t skip a beat when it comes to responding to emergency callouts.
Updated
Prime minister condemns 'horrific antisemitic attack' after four Jewish community ambulances set on fire
Keir Starmer has called for communities to “all stand together” in the face of a “horrific antisemitic attack”, in which four Jewish community ambulances were set on fire.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, with CCTV showing three individuals setting light to an ambulance in the early hours of Monday morning,
Officers were called to Highfield Road in Golders Green at about 1.45am on Monday after receiving reports of a fire. The ambulances were run by Jewish charity Hatzola, which was established in 1979 and is run by volunteers, providing free medical transportation and emergency response to those living in north London.
The London fire brigade (LFB) said it had sent six fire engines and about 40 firefighters to the fire, which damaged four vehicles. Several cylinders on the vehicles exploded and caused windows to break in an adjacent block of flats, the LFB said. No injuries were initially reported.
Jewish community leaders condemned the attack, with the chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis saying the targeting of the volunteer service was “particularly sickening”.
Investigators are working to identify who carried out the attack. It is understood to be too early to say if it was inspired by a particular group.
The prime minister said he had been in contact with Jewish community leaders and “it’s really important that we all stand together”.
He added:
This is a horrific antisemitic attack. And of course my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with those in the vicinity, the residents who are understandably very concerned, the Jewish community across the country deeply concerned.
I’ve already been in touch with community leaders this morning and will continue to do so during the day.
But antisemitism has no place in our society and it’s really important that we all stand together at a moment like this.
Updated
