London: An Iranian terrorist group has claimed responsibility for setting Jewish ambulances on fire near a British synagogue, shattering windows and setting off explosions on a residential street.
British police are investigating the claim amid a renewed debate about an increase in antisemitism at the same time Israel intensifies its attacks on Iran.
In a move that highlighted Iran’s role in funding terrorism over many years, the British Foreign Office called in the Iranian ambassador, Seyed Ali Mousavi, to criticise the “reckless” actions of the Islamic Republic in the UK and other countries.
The diplomatic action was focused on a separate court case, in which two individuals arrested in Britain have been charged with assisting the Iranian intelligence service, but it came amid public debate about whether Iran was behind the arson in London on Monday morning, UK time.
Security TV footage appears to show three people in hoodies pouring fuel on the four ambulances before setting them alight in Golders Green, a part of London with a large number of Jewish households. Nobody was injured in the attack.
The vehicles belonged to the Hatzola service, a volunteer Jewish organisation that helped the local community.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Highfield Road in Golders Green at 1.45am on Monday (12.45pm AEDT) when the London Fire Brigade were on the scene.
“We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage,” said Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads the police in the area.
No injuries were reported, but houses have been evacuated. The police said the explosions were believed to be caused by gas canisters onboard the ambulances.
The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Phil Rosenberg, said the volunteer ambulance service highlighted an obligation to “choose life” while the arsonists showed the “emptiness” of their cause.
“While the motives are unclear at this stage, this attack comes in the context of rising antisemitism around the world,” he said.
“This is a threat not just to the Jewish community but to our societies as a whole.”
The group claiming responsibility for the Golders Green attack is Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, also known as the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand and seen as a group aligned with Tehran.
While the group said on its Telegram channel that it was behind the attack, the Metropolitan Police have yet to verify the claim and have not yet declared the incident a terror attack.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the arson attack as “horrifying” antisemitism.
“An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all. We will fight the poison that is antisemitism,” he said.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said people in the Jewish community told her they lived in fear of attack.
“A hatred of Jews is growing in our country, and all of us need to make it clear in our words and actions that Britain will not tolerate antisemitism,” she said.
Farage warns of ‘fifth column’
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went further by claiming a “fifth column” was being formed inside Britain to target Jewish people and bring terrorism to the country. Farage said the group claiming responsibility for the Golders Green attack was directly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
Jewish leaders warned of rising antisemitism last October when an assailant rammed a synagogue in Manchester before killing one worshipper with a knife and wounding several others. Another victim died when struck by a bullet fired by police seeking to take down the terrorist, Jihad al-Shamie.
The streets of Golders Green hosted a celebration less than four weeks ago when Jewish residents joined members of the Iranian community in London to welcome the Israeli and US airstrikes on Tehran, with both groups hoping it would lead to the fall of the Iranian regime.
The Foreign Office summoned the Iranian ambassador on Monday, hours after the attack, to criticise Iran over the spying allegations being heard in court.
Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, and Alireza Farasati, 22, appeared in court last week on charges under the National Security Act of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service.
They are alleged to have spied on targets in the Jewish community and the Israeli embassy, passing on information to the Iranian regime.
The two men were arrested two weeks ago over their surveillance, which mostly took place last year but continued as recently as February. They will appear in court again next month.
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David Crowe is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.