Counterterrorism police are now at the helm of an inquiry following a disturbing incident where four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community were set alight outside a London synagogue early Monday morning. Authorities have classified this as an antisemitic hate crime.
The incident occurred at approximately 1:45 a.m. in Golders Green, where Hatzola ambulances, a volunteer service operated by the Jewish community, were intentionally set on fire in the synagogue’s parking area. This information was confirmed by Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police.
“This arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, and it has left a significant impact on our Jewish communities,” Williams stated. He further mentioned that, although the incident hasn’t been officially labeled as terrorism, “Counterterrorism Policing is leading the investigation, and all possibilities are being considered.”
A video making the rounds on social media allegedly shows Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, a group linked to Iran and known for claiming responsibility for recent attacks on Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, taking credit for the London incident, as reported by the Jewish Chronicle.
The charred remains of the Hatzola ambulances, part of a Jewish community organization, are now somberly visible in northwest London, with police emphasizing this as an antisemitic hate crime, as of March 23, 2026. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)
Authorities are exploring a possible connection to this newly emerged group suspected of having ties to Iran. “We have noted an online claim from a group asserting responsibility for this attack,” Williams indicated. “Determining the validity and truth of this claim is a top priority… but confirmation is pending at this stage.”
Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that the attack reflects years of policy failures in confronting Iranian activity on British soil. “Successive U.K. Governments have completely failed in their primary duty of keeping the home front safe. Iranian terrorist activity has been known about in the U.K. for years yet no significant moves have been made to ban the IRGC or restrict the ability of regime-linked entities to function within British society. We have created the conditions for terrorism to flourish,” he said.
He argued that Britain’s broader approach to the conflict with Iran — attempting to maintain distance while avoiding direct confrontation — has further emboldened Tehran. “The current policy on the war in Iran is delusional. The Government is pretending Britain is not involved. The Iranian regime does not, however, believe in neutrality and has decided its position for us: ripe for targeting.”
Joe Truzman, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in a post on X that “My initial assessment is that the attack could potentially be linked to Ashab al-Yamin, an Iran-linked group that has carried out multiple attacks against Jewish institutions across Europe since the war began… Hopefully this is something different, but the possibility that the group is involved should be examined.”
Charred remains of ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish community organization, which were set on fire in an incident that the police say is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, in northwest London, Britain, March 23, 2026. (Isabel Infantes/Reuters)
Police said they are searching for three suspects seen on CCTV pouring an accelerant onto the vehicles before igniting them. No injuries were reported, though nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
The attack comes amid a broader wave of violence targeting Jewish communities across Europe in recent weeks.
Scott Saunders, CEO of the International March of the Living, said the incident represents a dangerous escalation. “The arson attack in Golders Green… marks a dangerous escalation in the targeting of Jewish communities,” Saunders said. “Emergency vehicles operated by Jewish volunteer first responders were deliberately attacked… in direct proximity to a place of worship — a space that should represent safety.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel visits the scene after four ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish community organization, were set on fire in an incident that the police say is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, in northwest London, Britain, March 23, 2026. (Isabel Infantes/Reuters)
“These ambulances do not only serve Jewish communities… Targeting them is an attack not only on Jewish life, but on the shared fabric of the community they serve,” he added. “Since the war with Iran began, antisemitic attacks have become more frequent, more brazen, and more direct. Jewish institutions are being singled out; synagogues, community spaces, and now even the emergency services that exist to protect Jewish lives, with a growing sense that these are legitimate targets. Following the deadly shooting in and around a synagogue in Manchester last October, where this escalation already resulted in loss of life, the attack in Golders Green makes clear that this trajectory is continuing.”
Dr. Charles Asher Small, founder of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, said the attack reflects a broader trend.
“The attack against a visible Jewish target is not an isolated act of vandalism; it is the violent fruition of a climate where Jew-hatred has been normalized and institutionalized,” Small said.
Men hold the flag of Israel and the pre-Iranian Revolution “Lion and Sun” flag near the scene where four ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish community organization, were set on fire in an incident that the police say is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime, in northwest London, Britain, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes (Isabel Infantes/Reuters)
“At the center of this malignancy sits the Iranian regime… which actively funds and directs the networks that view British Jewish institutions as legitimate targets,” he added.
British officials also condemned the attack.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all. We will fight the poison that is antisemitism.”
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the incident on X “a particularly sickening assault — not only on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society.”
Police secure the site near a synagogue damaged by an explosion early on Monday, in Liege, Belgium, March 9, 2026. (Yves Herman/Reuters)
“The targeting of Hatzola… is a most painful illustration of the ongoing battle between those who sanctify life and those who seek to destroy it,” he added in a statement posted March 23, 2026.
Police said there have been no arrests and urged anyone with information to come forward.
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