22-05-2025
Police tell British Jews ‘be vigilant' after DC anti-Semitic attack
Scotland Yard has urged London's Jewish community to remain vigilant in the aftermath of the killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC.
The Metropolitan Police warned Jewish Londoners of the 'ever-present need' to be on their guard following the attack, carried out near the US capital's Jewish museum by a man who shouted 'free Palestine'.
A Met Police spokesman said: 'We understand why the awful attack on the Jewish community in Washington DC on Wednesday evening will undoubtedly have increased concerns among Jewish Londoners.
'It comes at a time when many are already increasingly worried about their safety.
'There is nothing to indicate that events in Washington have specifically increased the risk or threat here in London, but they are a reminder of the ever-present need to be vigilant. Our message to Jewish Londoners remains the same – please be alert, but do not be alarmed.
'If you see something that doesn't feel right, trust your instincts and report it.'
The spokesman added: 'Since Oct 7 2023 we have seen a concerning increase in anti-Semitic hate crime, as well as the ever-present threat from extremism or terrorism.
'Officers have been working closely with community members and key partners, including the Community Security Trust, to provide advice, reassurance and a visible presence particularly in those areas with larger Jewish populations or in the vicinity of relevant venues. That work continues.'
The Community Security Trust (CST), which works to protect Jews from terrorism and anti-Semitism, has also urged British Jews to continue taking basic security measures to safeguard premises and individuals.
In a statement the CST said: 'CST condemns the terrorist murder of two Israeli embassy staff outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Our thoughts are with their family and colleagues at this awful time.
'This kind of terrorism is a global threat to all Jewish communities that has risen significantly since Oct 7, and it is the reason why there is so much security across the Jewish community in the UK.
'CST will continue working tirelessly with the police, government and other partners to enable a safe, proud Jewish way of life in this country.'
The CST issues regular security advice to Jewish community, including to keep gates and doors closed or guarded; to be alert for suspicious people and activities, including parked cars and unattended items and to avoid congregating outside communal buildings and events.
They also warned about 'tailgating' – when people follow close behind someone to gain access to a building when gates or doors are opened.
Its security measures are understood to have increased significantly following Israel's response to the Oct 7 attacks and have remained at a very high level ever since.
The Washington victims, a young couple planning their engagement, had left a reception for diplomats near the city's Jewish museum on Wednesday night when a stranger armed with a handgun approached them and opened fire.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, fled into the museum and was detained by security staff as witnesses rushed to help the victims. As he was detained by officers he was heard shouting 'free, free Palestine'.
Israel named one of the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, 28, who worked in the embassy's political department. The second was named as Sarah Milgrim, a Jewish American embassy employee.
The latest UK warnings followed a paint attack on a mainly Jewish office block in north Manchester on May 15.
Rico House, in Prestwich – which is owned by a Jewish company and leases offices to businesses that include a jeweller and a property management firm – was targeted by the protest group Palestine Action.
Red paint was thrown across the building's front, windows, and entrance and 'Happy Nakba Day' – signifying the displacement of Palestinians when the state of Israel was created in 1948 – was graffitied on an outside wall.
In April, a man was arrested after allegedly attempting to break into the Israeli embassy in west London with a knife.
CST recorded 3,528 anti-Semitic incidents in the UK last year, the second-highest annual total ever reported to it, after a peak the previous year.
Rhetoric related to the ongoing Middle East conflict featured in 1,844 (52 per cent) of anti-Semitic incidents reported to CST in 2024.
In at least 355 of the incidents the phrase 'Free Palestine' was said to have been used in an anti-Semitic way, by being targeted 'at Jewish people or institutions in a hostile manner simply because they were Jewish'.
