Incident Overview
In Golders Green, the lingering smell of smoke marks the aftermath of a disturbing event. Four Jewish charity-operated ambulances were set ablaze in the early hours of Monday, located in a car park adjacent to a synagogue in this north-west London suburb. The fire caused explosions that shattered windows in nearby buildings and necessitated the evacuation of several residents.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and is under investigation by counter-terrorism police. The incident has heightened feelings of unease and fear within the Jewish community.
"It's a shock,"said Jack Taub, a member of the leadership team at the Machzike Hadath Synagogue, the site of the attack.
"I can't say no-one was expecting it."
Taub's sentiments were shared by others in the community who spoke with the BBC following the event.
"It's very shocking, [but] it's not unexpected,"stated Shimon Ryde, a local resident and Golders Green councillor.
"The Jewish community is very aware of the danger we live in."
Ben, who chose to give only his first name, added,
"I think I can speak for the community [that] it's been in the back of all our heads that something somewhere is going to pop off."He described the event as
"heartbreak for everyone."
Details of the Attack
At approximately 01:40 GMT on Monday, the London Fire Brigade responded to reports of a fire on Highfield Road in Golders Green, where four Hatzola ambulances were engulfed in flames. Hatzola is a Jewish-led non-profit organization providing free emergency medical response and hospital transportation to the north London community.
Three of the service's five ambulances were completely destroyed, with a fourth sustaining partial damage.
Residents were awakened by loud explosions that shattered windows in a nearby block of flats. Dozens were evacuated, with around 30 people taken to a shelter during the early morning hours.
The explosions also caused damage to the synagogue, including the destruction of stained-glass windows, smoke damage, and harm to the roof, according to Taub.
Yehoshua Posen, whose daughter lives in the adjacent flat, recounted that she witnessed individuals setting fire to the ambulances before fleeing the scene.
"She was terrified,"Posen said.
"For this to happen on something which is just there to save lives is quite telling and shocking. It's time that people wake up and realise that you can allow hatred only so long, but eventually it catches up."
Community Impact and Responses
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis condemned the arson as a
"particularly sickening assault - not only on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society."He praised Hatzola's service as
"extraordinary,"emphasizing its mission to protect life regardless of faith.
Lyn Fry expressed her dismay at the attack, sharing a personal experience involving the service. Her husband, Mike Clack, a 70-year-old non-Jewish man, was assisted by Hatzola after breaking his leg in 2024.
"He was a 70-year-old non-Jewish man with a seriously broken leg, lying on cold, wet ground, and clearly in a bad way,"she said. The ambulance arrived within 15 minutes, and she described the volunteer-run service as
"absolutely wonderful."
Damon Hoff, president and chair of Machzike Hadath Synagogue, referred to Hatzola as the
"backbone of the community, it's for everyone that lives here."He noted that while the service was established for the Jewish community, approximately one-third of the local population is non-Jewish.
The Jewish Leadership Council condemned the attack, calling it
"particularly sickening that someone's hatred of Jews drives them to target vital ambulance services,"and highlighted the ongoing
"tidal wave of hatred"against Jewish people.
Rising Antisemitism in the UK
The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in the UK, reports an increase in antisemitic hate crimes over the past two years, particularly following the Hamas attacks in Israel in 2023 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.
According to CST's 2025 report, 3,700 anti-Jewish hate incidents were recorded that year, marking a significant rise compared to pre-October 2023 levels.
The Home Office's latest figures for England and Wales reveal that Jewish people experience the highest rate of religious hate crimes among all faith groups. In the year leading up to March 2025, there were 106 religious hate crimes per 10,000 Jewish individuals, compared to 12 per 10,000 among Muslims, the next highest group.
"Tensions have been very high,"said Jack Taub, noting that security measures have been increased by many organizations following recent attacks on the UK's Jewish community.
Last year, two worshippers were killed during an attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. In February, three men were convicted and jailed in Manchester for plotting a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
Antisemitic incidents have also been reported in schools, universities, and healthcare facilities nationwide.
Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign against Antisemitism, told the BBC that
"not enough is being done"to address antisemitism. He urged the government to take action against hate marches, hate preachers, and extremists, describing antisemitism as a
"systemic, society wide problem."
Additional reporting by Nisha Patel
