Monday, April 20th saw British police announce the arrest of two teenagers, following the latest in a series of arson attacks targeting sites across London, including Jewish community centres. The most recent arrests bring the total number of individuals detained in connection with six related incidents to 15.
Matt Jukes, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said the latest apprehensions align with an emerging pattern of “thugs for hire.” He noted that the UK is increasingly seeing “the pressure of hostile states bearing into our communities.”
Yet official messaging is not always clear on the antisemitic motives behind the violence. As David Baddiel, author of Jews Don’t Count, noted
Confused as to why politicians say, on another attempted arson attack on a Jewish building, “these terrorists are trying to divide us—and will not succeed etc etc.” Are they? I’d say that [divisiveness] is not the object. I’d say it’s trying to kill Jews.
The Metropolitan Police is currently investigating whether the attacks were instigated by Iranian proxies. The probe comes as Britain’s Chief Rabbi warned of a “sustained campaign of violence and intimidation” against the Jewish community in the UK.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a radical Islamist group linked to Iran, has claimed responsibility for several of the recent attacks.
