Police report arresting two men in connection with a London arson attack which destroyed four volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation. The emergency vehicles were set on fire while they were parked next to a synagogue in an area of the English capital with a large Jewish population.
The arrests follow police disclosure of an investigation into an online claim of responsibility by a little-known Islamist group which has possible links to Iran.
The London Metropolitan Police said two men aged 47 and 45 were arrested by counter-terrorism detectives “on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.”
The Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) group, meaning The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, claimed the attack in a Telegram post, after saying it was also responsible for similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands. Two minors were arrested in Belgium on Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in a “terrorist” organisation after a car was set on fire in Antwerp’s Jewish quarter, also claimed by HAYI.
Embattled London police chief Mark Rowley said late on Monday, March 25th that his officers were
pursuing all lines of enquiry, including an online claim of responsibility by an Islamist group who have claimed other attacks across Europe and have potential Iranian state links.
The attack targeted ambulances run by the volunteer organisation Hatzola, which provides free medical transportation and emergency response to those living in north London.
Alongside the physical damage, the attack has ignited a toxic wave of antisemitic social media discourse, including labelling the arson a “false flag” operation carried by Jews designed to garner sympathy. Other X accounts have asked “why do Jews need their own ambulances?”
Such malicious commentary often ignores the fact that Hatzola is a charitable organization serving its local area and complementing the National Health Service’s own transport provision. This reaction to the arson would delegitimize Jewish community initiatives through the antisemitic trope that they are building a ‘state within the state’ based on external loyalties.
