An attempted arson attack has been reported at the Kenton United Synagogue in north-west London, in a series of incidents targeting the Jewish community. According to the Community Security Trust (CST), the attack on Saturday night caused minor smoke damage to an interior room, but no injuries or major structural damage, the BBC reported.The building, located near a school and children’s playground, was cordoned off while police and firefighters investigated.Forensic officers, fire investigation dogs and multiple police units were deployed to the scene, with a heavy security presence continuing in the area.
What did the Mayor of London say?
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said perpetrators would face “the full force of the law” and reiterated that anti-Semitism has no place in the city.
In response to the incident, Ephraim Mirvis described the attack as “cowardly” and warned of a “sustained campaign of violence and intimidation” against Jewish communities in the UK.
A series of anti-Semitic attacks
The latest incident comes amid a spate of suspected anti-Semitic attacks in northwest London.On Friday, a building in Hendon previously linked to a Jewish charity was targeted when a man tried to ignite a plastic bag containing bottles of liquid outside the building before fleeing. The attack caused minor damage and is also being treated as a hate crime.Police are also investigating incidents in Finchley, where bottles filled with petrol were reportedly thrown at a synagogue, and arrests were made earlier this week.
No arrests have been reported in the Kenton case yet.
Previous attack on Jewish ambulances
This escalation comes in the wake of a major arson attack last month in Golders Green. Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish Voluntary Emergency Service were set on fire in the early hours of 23 March.Explosions caused by oxygen and gas canisters inside the vehicles damaged nearby properties and forced residents to evacuate.