Two arrested over attempted arson attack at synagogue in London

Published 20 Apr, 2026 02:36pm 2 min read

British police said on Monday they arrested two people over an attempted arson ​attack on a synagogue in north London over the ‌weekend, as counter-terrorism officers probe possible links between a series of recent attacks on Jewish targets and Iran.

A 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were taken ​into custody overnight in connection with the incident, which occurred ​early on Sunday morning, the police said. The fire caused ⁠minor smoke damage to an internal room, and no injuries ​were reported.

The attack on Kenton United Synagogue was the latest in a ​series of arson incidents targeting Jewish sites across the capital in recent weeks.

On Friday night, police said there was an attempted arson attack on a business premises ​linked to the Jewish community.

Last week, two suspects ​were arrested over an attempted arson attack at another synagogue in the capital.

Last month, ‌several ⁠ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola were set alight while parked near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.

Police also briefly cordoned off an area near the Israeli embassy ​in London over ​the weekend following ⁠an online report that it had been targeted with drones carrying “dangerous substances”.

Officers later said items ​recovered did not contain any harmful or hazardous materials.

Attacks ​on ⁠Jewish people and Jewish targets have risen in Britain since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, ⁠according ​to police and community groups.

British security officials ​have previously warned that Iran has sought to use criminal proxies to carry out hostile ​activity in the UK.

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