London Jewish community ambulances set ablaze in antisemitic attack, PM says

LONDON – Four Jewish community ambulances were set ablaze in north London on March 23 in what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called “a deeply shocking anti-Semitic arson attack”.

The London Fire Brigade, which sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters to the scene, said multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, shattering nearby windows. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.

The SITE Intelligence website said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the attack near a synagogue in Golders Green.

It said the group had been behind similar fires in Liege, Belgium, and Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Israeli embassy condemns climate of intimidation

The Israeli embassy in London, which has long criticised Britain for failing to do more to tackle anti-Semitism, said the firebombings followed years of “hate-filled marches” in support of the Palestinians, along with incitement and intimidation.

“Enough is enough,” it said on X, calling for “decisive action to put an end to this climate of intimidation before it spirals further. Silence and inaction are no longer an option.”

Security footage showed three men in hooded jackets approaching the ambulances before they were engulfed in flames.

Police said the fires were being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime and not as a terrorist incident, but the investigation would be led by counter-terrorism officers who have specialist expertise. They also said they could not confirm the authenticity of the online claim at this stage.

Amid tense scenes on the morning of March 23, several men briefly challenged an Al Jazeera camera crew who were present. Others urged the visiting health minister, Mr Wes Streeting, to view a nearby wall covered in pictures of people killed in Iran.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the attack and said police patrols would be increased in the area.

“My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news,” Mr Starmer said on X. “Anti-Semitism has no place in our society.”

The ambulances belonged to Hatzola, a not-for-profit volunteer organisation that responds to medical emergencies and works alongside Britain’s health service.

It was founded in the 1960s in Brooklyn, New York, to provide services to its Yiddish speaking, Hasidic community.

Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg said the Hatzola service would continue to operate for the “nation that we love”, adding “we shall not be moved”.

Mr Streeting said the government would replace the ambulances.

Attacks on Jewish targets have risen

Attacks against Jewish people and targets have risen worldwide since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, and Mr Starmer had warned that the US-Israeli war on Iran would stoke tensions further.

He said in early March that the government would work with Muslim and Jewish organisations to ensure that sensitive sites had appropriate security.

Britain has recorded significantly higher levels of anti-Semitic hate since the 2023 attack, according to the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain’s estimated 290,000 Jews on security matters.

The most severe incident was a 2025 attack in Manchester that killed two Jewish worshippers during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. REUTERS