Archbishop Longley condemns ‘abhorrent’ antisemitism

Aid to the Church in Need added its voice ‘to those who refuse to be silent in the face of hatred towards religious groups’.

The Catholic archbishop who leads on dialogue with other faiths has condemned rising and “abhorrent antisemitism” as the likelihood of a terrorism attack was raised from “substantial” to “severe”.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the UK National Threat Level following the stabbing of two members of the Jewish community in Golders Green in North London, but the decision to raise the threat level was not solely a result of that attack.

The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in broader Islamist and extreme right wing terrorist threats from individuals and small groups based in the UK, according to a Government policing statement.

The threat level was raised as the suspect in the Golders Green attack was remanded into custody after appearing at Westminster magistrates’ court. Essa Suleiman, 45, was charged with two counts of attempted murder.

Calling for extra help, Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has submitted a proposal to the Home Office for 300 additional officers to tackle anti-Semitism.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski meanwhile apologised for sharing a post on social media that criticised the police for how they responded to the attack.

There are growing calls for the suspension of pro-Palestinian marches due to fears they can contribute to the rising antisemitism.

Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham and chair of the Bishops’ Conference department for dialogue and unity, called for “all members of society to consider seriously how we may counter the alarming rise in antisemitism which is tearing at the fabric of our society”.

Archbishop Longley, a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and a member of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and who last September was appointed a consultor to the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, said, “I was shocked and deeply disturbed by the antisemitic terror attack which took place on the streets of London yesterday.

“I hold the victims and the whole Jewish community in my prayers, and I applaud the emergency services and first responders, including Shomrim and Hatzola, for their swift actions to prevent further suffering and violence.

“People of all faiths should be free to worship and express their faith without hate and prejudice. The targeting of the Jewish community is abhorrent.“

“This is a stark call for all members of society to consider seriously how we may counter the alarming rise in antisemitism which is tearing at the fabric of our society.”

Catholic bishops and other faith leaders condemn antisemitic terror attack in Golders Green

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Of the two Jewish men, who were stabbed in Golders Green, 76-year-old Moshe Shine is still in hospital and 34-year-old Shloime Rand was discharged last night. He said, “I feel like God’s given me back my life.”

Dr Caroline Hull, national director of Aid to the Church in Need (UK), said: “All of us at ACN offer prayers for and good wishes to the two men who were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday.

“Noting the Chief Rabbi’s call for the whole of society to speak up loudly and stand together, ACN joins its voice to those who refuse to be silent in the face of hatred towards religious groups.”

The charity spoke out after Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis’ urged the “silent majority in the UK [to] raise their voices” against anti-semitism.

Also last month, two people wearing balaclavas lobbed a brick and bottles believed to contain petrol at Finchley Reform Synagogue. There were arson attacks on a Jewish-owned shop in Watford and a property connected with educational charity Jewish Futures in Hendon. In March, four ambulances owned by the Jewish charity Hatzola were destroyed in an arson attack in Golders Green.

Aid to the Church in Need noted that its 2025 Religious Freedom in the World report found a significant rise in violence against Jewish people in the UK coincided with the start of the current conflicts in the Holy Land.

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