Arson Attack in London Targets Jewish Ambulances
An extremist group linked to Iran claims responsibility for setting fire to four Jewish ambulances in London early Monday morning. This incident is the latest in a troubling pattern of attacks on Jewish institutions throughout Europe.
The group, known as Harakat Ahab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah, shared a video via a network associated with Tehran’s Axis of Resistance proxies. They allege that their target was the Machjike Hadas synagogue located in Golders Green, an area with a significant Jewish population. However, the ambulance operated by Hatzolah, a Jewish volunteer emergency service, sustained the most damage as it was parked on the synagogue’s premises.
The Metropolitan Police were alerted to the situation around 1:45 AM after receiving fire reports. Security footage captured three individuals wearing hoodies approaching the ambulance, pouring flammable liquid on it, and then fleeing the scene. According to Detective Chief Luke Williams, an oxygen cylinder within the ambulance exploded, necessitating the evacuation of 34 nearby residents. Fortunately, no injuries occurred.
Williams underscored the importance of verifying online claims but mentioned that the police haven’t been able to confirm these allegations yet. While counterterrorism officials are heading the investigation, authorities are categorizing this incident not as terrorism but as an anti-Semitic hate crime. The Metropolitan Police Department, when contacted for further statements, reiterated their initial comments without additional information.
This group also took responsibility for a bombing at a synagogue in Liege, Belgium, on March 9, along with attacks on a synagogue in Rotterdam and a Jewish school in Amsterdam shortly after, as reported by Reuters. Dutch prosecutors are acknowledging these claims as part of their ongoing investigations into the attacks in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
The International Counter-Terrorism Center in the Netherlands has raised questions regarding the legitimacy of this group, suggesting it could merely be a façade for Iran’s tactics to avoid direct accountability, as noted by Agence France-Presse.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the arson as “an extremely shocking incident of anti-Semitic arson,” while Health Minister Wes Streeting assured that the government would provide funding for replacement ambulances.
Hatzolah, which originated in Brooklyn during the 1960s, is a nonprofit emergency service assisting both Jewish and non-Jewish patients along with the UK’s National Health Service. Reports indicate that targeting of Jewish communities globally has surged since Hamas initiated its attacks on Israel in October 2023.
