A 22-year-old Jewish man was viciously assaulted early Monday in Golders Green, north London, in what authorities are investigating as an antisemitic hate crime amid a surge of coordinated attacks targeting the community.

The assault occurred around 2 a.m. when the man stepped outside his apartment to make a phone call. As he spoke Hebrew, five masked men walking nearby heard him and suddenly began chasing him, according to accounts of the incident.

The attackers caught him, dragged him across the road, and beat him severely until he was near loss of consciousness. They tore his clothes, discarded his shoes, and shouted abuse at him in Arabic before fleeing.

A neighbor heard the commotion and called police. The attackers fled the scene before officers arrived. The attack has been reported to police and the Community Security Trust, which is assisting in identifying those responsible.

The assault comes as London has experienced countless attacks targeting the Jewish community since March, involving arson, explosives, and violence against schools, shuls, and other identifiable Jewish sites.  Responsibility for many of the attacks has been claimed by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, believed to be a front group for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The UK’s terror threat level was raised to severe following a recent stabbing in Golders Green which left two visibly Jewish men injured, and the government declared antisemitism a national emergency.

SHOMRIM SENT THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT TO YWN:

We became aware in the early hours of this morning of a horrific anti-Semitic incident in Golders Green, where a male was violently assaulted at approximately 2:00am outside an address on The Grove NW11 by a group of masked men.

Police attended the scene within minutes. An area search was carried out with additional units deployed, however the suspects were not located. The victim sustained injuries to his face and back and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police have now confirmed that the incident is being treated as a racially and religiously aggravated offence. Due to what was reported during the assault, the investigation is being led by the Hate Crime Unit and remains under active senior oversight. CCTV enquiries are ongoing.

Shomrim has remained in close contact with the police throughout the day and continues to actively assist the investigation team with CCTV enquiries. Relevant footage connected to this incident has been obtained by Shomrim and shared with police.

Shomrim is absolutely horrified and deeply disturbed by this appalling anti-Semitic attack. Following the deeply concerning rise in anti-Semitic incidents and attacks in recent times, this latest assault has caused significant fear and distress across the community.

There is absolutely no place whatsoever for antisemitic hatred, violence, or intimidation in our society. As an organisation rooted within and serving the community every day, we remain fully committed to working closely with the police to help keep the community safe.

Additional patrols have been deployed in the area to provide reassurance and support to the local community.

We understand that incidents like this can be unsettling. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, stay calm, and report any incidents immediately to the Police or Shomrim.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)