A man has been arrested following reports that he targeted Jewish-owned businesses and attempted to assault pedestrians in the Golders Green neighborhood in London on Sunday afternoon, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
Police responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m. on Golders Green Road after receiving reports of an individual “acting irrationally in the street” and “shouting in Arabic outside Jewish-owned businesses”, the report said.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the suspect tried to punch passers-by, including shoppers near the outlets.
Local residents assisted officers in searching the area, ultimately leading to the man’s arrest.
In a statement, Barnet Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense.
“So far, there have been no reports of any injuries. The incident is being treated as a potential hate crime,” it stated.
The incident comes as Britain has seen unprecedented levels of antisemitic attacks since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Just last week, the Community Security Trust (CST) which is responsible for advising the Jewish community on security, released a new report that found that Britain experienced its second-worst year for antisemitism in 2024, with over 3,500 incidents reported.
Incidents of antisemitism in Britain in recent months include an incident in November, when a woman set fire to an Israeli flag at a venue hosting an event for Jewish university students.
Last May, a woman carrying a large knife was arrested in Stamford Hill, north London.
The woman allegedly told a Jewish man that he is a "provocation" before adding, "You people, you Jewish...all the trouble you’re creating in the world."
A month earlier, a Jewish man was attacked by four men in Stamford Hill. According to the Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish civilian watch organization, the four individuals approached the Jewish man, threatened him, and demanded he get into the trunk of their car.
Several days before that, two men were arrested at a pro-Palestinian Arab march in London. One of the men was taken into custody for carrying a swastika emblazoned placard and another for allegedly making racist remarks towards counter-protesters, the Metropolitan Police said.