British police have arrested two people in connection with an attempted arson attack at a synagogue in a north London suburb. This is the latest in a series of alleged anti-Semitic crimes in recent weeks.
A 46-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were arrested in Watford, northwest London, on suspicion of “arson endangering life”, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
The attempted attack took place on the outskirts of Finchley in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Police said surveillance footage showed two people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas entering the synagogue grounds, placing two glass bottles next to a window and throwing bricks at the building.
Police said one of the bottles contained a substance believed to be gasoline and was broken with a brick.
Police said neither bottle caught fire and the two men fled the scene. There was no damage to the building and no one was injured. Later that morning, synagogue staff reported the incident to police.
Police are treating the incident as an anti-Semitic hate crime and said they will increase their presence in the area.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said: “We hope that today’s swift action by our officers to identify and arrest these two individuals provides some reassurance and shows how seriously we take these types of attacks.”
Finchley Reform Synagogue posted a statement on Facebook: “While we are extremely grateful that no one was hurt and the building was safe, we know the emotional and psychological impact of today’s events is significant.”
The attack comes just weeks after two men were arrested on suspicion of anti-Semitic arson, in which several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer rescue group were set on fire in north London. Last month’s attack occurred outside a synagogue in the suburb of Golders Green, home to London’s largest Jewish community. Three people have been charged in connection with the Golders Green attack.
Mr Williams acknowledged: “This next incident so soon after the arson attack on four ambulances in Golders Green will be of great concern to the Jewish community,” adding there was no indication that the attacks in Finchley and Golders Green were linked.
A new annual report from Tel Aviv University has found that more Jews will be killed in anti-Semitic attacks in 2025 than at any time in the past 30 years. During the year, 20 Jews were killed in four separate anti-Semitic attacks.
Anti-Semitic incidents increased in New York and the UK after the end of the Gaza war, according to the report. In the UK, the total number of anti-Semitic incidents rose from 3,556 in 2024 to 3,700 a year later.
