Severe represents the second-highest level on a five-tier threat scale, indicating intelligence agencies assess an attack as highly probable within the next six months.
On Thursday, the UK government elevated the national terrorism threat level from substantial to severe following the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London the previous day, an incident police have classified as terrorism.
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The severe alert is the second from the top on a five-level scale, signaling intelligence services view an attack as very likely in the coming six months.
Westminster officials declared the nation is confronting an antisemitism crisis and committed to strengthening protection for Jewish communities following a series of assaults that have generated fear and outrage among Jews.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer affirmed that his administration «will employ all available means to eradicate this hatred» after two Jewish males, aged 34 and 76, sustained serious injuries in a stabbing incident in Golders Green, a north London area recognized as a central hub for Britain’s Jewish population.
Both victims are currently in stable condition.
However, certain community members directed their frustration towards the government, criticizing it for insufficient efforts to combat antisemitism.
During his visit to Golders Green on Thursday, Starmer faced jeers from roughly 100 demonstrators brandishing signs that read «Keir Starmer, Jew harmer.»
In response, the prime minister acknowledged, «I fully recognize the intense anxiety and concern that exist.»
«Antisemitism is a deeply rooted, longstanding hatred. History demonstrates its foundations run deep, and ignoring it allows it to resurface,» he said in a televised address from Downing Street.
«Regrettably, too many in this country underestimate its severity.»
Authorities have apprehended a 45-year-old male on suspicion of attempted murder, labeling the stabbing as a terrorist act.
Investigators are probing the motive and exploring potential connections to Iranian proxies.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, had «a background of serious violence and mental health challenges» and might have been involved in a confrontation in another part of London several hours before the Golders Green incident, according to police.
He was referred to the government’s Prevent programme in 2020, which aims to divert individuals away from extremism.
The police stated his case was closed later that year, without revealing the reasons behind the referral.
Stabbings come after series of arson attacks
The Jewish population in Britain, estimated at approximately 300,000, has experienced a rise in attacks both on the internet and in public spaces.
Since the Hamas-led militant assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing conflict in Gaza, reported antisemitic incidents throughout the UK have sharply increased, according to the Community Security Trust charity.
In October of last year, an attacker drove a vehicle into a crowd outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, fatally stabbing one individual.
Another fatality occurred during this event after a police officer mistakenly discharged a firearm.
Since the onset of the Iran war on 28 February, multiple arson attacks have targeted synagogues and other Jewish sites in London, as well as critics of the Iranian regime.
Authorities report 28 arrests related to these incidents, none of which resulted in injuries.
Several suspects have faced charges, and one adolescent pleaded guilty and was convicted.
Police examining potential Iran proxy connections
Claims of responsibility for several arson attacks have emerged online under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia.
The Israeli government describes the group, whose name translates to the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a recently established organization suspected of ties to «an Iranian proxy,» also taking responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
An online statement with the same name also claimed the stabbing on Wednesday.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that investigations are ongoing to verify whether that claim is reliable or merely «opportunistic.»
Security analysts caution that the group’s name could be a convenient label rather than representing an organized entity, and its assertions should be viewed skeptically.
The UK government has accused Iran of deploying criminal proxies to execute attacks on European territory targeting Iranian opposition media outlets and Jewish communities.
The MI5 domestic intelligence agency reports thwarting over 20 «potentially lethal» plots backed by Iran within the year ending in October.
Additional sources • AP