Police hunt three masked suspects after deliberate attack on Jewish volunteer service in Golders Green
LONDON, 23 March 2026 — Four ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest, a Jewish volunteer emergency medical service, were deliberately set ablaze in the early hours of Monday morning in Golders Green, north London, in what the Metropolitan Police are formally treating as an antisemitic hate crime. Three suspects remain at large.
Security camera footage showed three masked individuals approach one of the ambulances and set it alight at approximately 1:36 a.m., with the location identified as adjacent to the Machzikei Hadath Synagogue. Police confirmed they are searching for three suspects but said there have been no arrests.
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were deployed to the scene. The London Fire Brigade reported that multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, causing windows to shatter in a neighbouring residential block. Nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution, though no injuries were reported. The fire was brought under control by 3:06 a.m.
Hatzola Northwest Chairman Shloimie Richman confirmed that four of the organisation’s six ambulances had been set alight, describing it as a deliberate arson attack.
“Obviously we have concerns that this is a direct attack on the Jewish community,” Richman said, adding that the organisation had received no prior threats.
Hatzola Northwest is a registered charity providing round-the-clock emergency medical response within a 2.5-mile radius of its Golders Green headquarters, staffed entirely by volunteer paramedics and medics. Its volunteer ambulance corps is described as serving Jewish and non-Jewish residents alike.
Political and community reaction was swift.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he called “a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack,” expressing solidarity with the Jewish community. London Mayor Sadiq Khan described it as “a cowardly attack on the Jewish community,” and said he was in close contact with police who were stepping up patrols in the area.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis called the attack “a particularly sickening assault — not only on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society,” noting that Hatzola’s mission is to protect life regardless of faith.
Local councillor Peter Zinkin said his first reaction was “shock and horror,” followed by “a deep and overwhelming sadness.” MP for Finchley and Golders Green, Sarah Sackman, called it a “despicable, cowardly, antisemitic arson attack” and demanded the perpetrators face the full force of the law.
The SITE Intelligence Group reported that an Iran-aligned militant collective calling itself the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the attack. That claim has not been independently verified by police.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a British charity that monitors antisemitic incidents, confirmed it was assisting Metropolitan Police in their enquiries, drawing comparisons to similar antisemitic arson attacks recently carried out in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The number of antisemitic incidents recorded across the United Kingdom reached 3,700 in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022, according to the CST. (NBC News) In October 2025, an attacker drove his vehicle into worshippers gathered outside a Manchester synagogue during the Yom Kippur celebration, killing one person.
Golders Green, home to approximately 15,000 residents — around half of whom are Jewish — hosts several synagogues and dozens of Jewish schools and restaurants, making it one of the most prominent Jewish neighbourhoods in the United Kingdom.
The Metropolitan Police have appealed for witnesses and urged anyone with information to come forward. Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the area, acknowledged there would be deep concern within the community and confirmed that additional patrols and engagement with faith leaders would be carried out as the investigation continues.
— Thought Media Network | Developing Story