A 22-year-old Israeli man was savagely attacked in Golders Green after being overheard speaking Hebrew on his phone, highlighting a troubling rise in antisemitic violence in one of London’s key Jewish districts. Shalev Ben-Yakar stepped outside his flat on Golders Green Road near the King Solomon Hotel around 2am to take a call from friends in South America. Five to six masked men in tracksuits chased him after hearing Hebrew, shouting abuse in Arabic before beating him into near unconsciousness.
Masked Mob Assaults Victim
The group caught Ben-Yakar, dragged him across the road, tore his clothes and stole one of his shoes. They repeatedly asked, “Are you Jewish?” as they violently attacked him, inflicting bleeding wounds on his forehead, nose, and cheeks with extensive bruising on his face and back. The assault lasted about five minutes, during which several attackers formed a circle around him, kicking him while he had his eyes shut in defence.
Neighbours Intervene Police Respond
A neighbour heard the violent shouting and called the police, who arrived after the attackers had fled. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime, but no arrests have yet been made. Ben-Yakar described the verbal abuse, recalling how the attackers repeatedly called him a “whore” in Arabic during the beating.
Community Groups Demand Action
The Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned the attack as clear evidence that Jewish lives are under threat in their own communities, warning that urgent action is needed. The Community Security Trust (CST), which patrols Jewish areas, confirmed it is supporting the victim and his family, describing the assault as violent and appalling amid rising antisemitism.
Pattern Of Recent Attacks In
This assault adds to a string of recent violent incidents targeting the Jewish community in north London. In March, four Hatzola ambulances were set on fire in the area in an arson attack linked to a group connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Three men and a teenager face charges for that crime. In April, two Jewish men were stabbed on Golders Green Road in a terrorist incident; the attacker, Essa Suleiman, is charged with attempted murder and due to stand trial in March next year.
