Jewish residents of London's Golders Green neighborhood were not happy to see a news crew from the Qatari Al Jazeera network in their community.
The journalists from the network, known for its highly anti-Israel and even antisemitic coverage, had arrived in the heavily Jewish neighborhood to cover the arson attack on Hatzolah ambulances.
Video from the scene shows locals surrounding the news crew, chanting “Al Jazeera off our streets", “go home," and “terrorist".
In other videos, several young Jewish Londers are seen confronting members of the crew, telling them that they are not wanted in the neighborhood due to their outlet's history of antisemitism. One man can be heard telling the reporter, "No one wants Al Jazeera here". Another adds, "Go back to Qatar".
The crew members replied angrily, saying: "You don't decide when I stay or when I leave, and at one point, the confrontation deteriorated to an exchange of derogatory words in Arabic and Hebrew.
Police and security intervened to prevent the clash from escalating further, and the Al Jazeera crew left. Residents can be heard explaining to the police that the Qatari network's presence in the neighborhood is causing them to feel unsafe.
The confrontations occurred after several ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer rescue organization Hatzolah Northwest were set on fire outside a synagogue in London's Golders Green neighborhood in the early hours of Monday, in what appears to be an antisemitic attack.
Security camera footage showed three masked individuals approaching an ambulance belonging to Hatzolah Northwest and setting it on fire. The timestamp on the video reads 1:36 a.m. Monday morning, and the location is marked as Machzikei Hadath, matching the name of the adjacent synagogue.
An Iran-aligned group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand) claimed responsibility for the attack.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded: "This is a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack. My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news."
"Antisemitism has no place in our society.
"Anyone with any information must come forward to the police."
"We strongly condemn the deliberate anti semitic attack on Hatzola ambulances in NW London. This was not only a criminal act of arson, but a targeted and deeply concerning incident affecting a vital emergency service serving the Jewish community," Shomrim responded. "Hatzola provides life-saving medical care to all who need it. An attack on these ambulances is an attack on the safety, wellbeing, and resilience of our community."
"We are working closely with the police and all relevant authorities and assisting with the ongoing investigation.
"There is no place for antisemitism or hate in our society. We stand united and will continue to support and protect our community.
"We thank the police and fire brigade for their swift, professional response and for ensuring the safety of the public. Golders Green Road (A502) will reopen shortly, while a small cordon will remain in place on Highfield Road NW11. Whilst the community may have woken up to this and understandably feel scared, we urge the community to remain calm but vigilant and there is no reason why children should not return to schools as usual."