Two adolescents have been apprehended in connection with a synagogue arson incident, with authorities probing a potential scheme involving paid individuals possibly linked to Iran. Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police’s deputy commissioner, disclosed that a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old were taken into custody following the attack on Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, North London. During an interview on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Mr. Jukes mentioned ongoing investigations into Iranian-backed groups regarding this occurrence and other recent assaults on the Jewish community.
“We are seriously considering the involvement of Iranian-affiliated proxies in these incidents. There seems to be a recurring pattern of individuals, essentially mercenaries, motivated by monetary gains, seeking quick and effortless rewards,” stated Mr. Jukes. He also referred to past cases involving individuals like Dylan Earl, serving a lengthy prison sentence for representing the Wagner group with Russian connections, emphasizing the utilization of proxies in modern hybrid warfare.
The incident at Kenton United Synagogue involved a bottle containing an accelerant being thrown through a window late on Sunday, with smoke detected inside a room, as per a previous statement from a Metropolitan Police spokesperson. Mr. Jukes expressed satisfaction over the recent arrests made in connection with the incident, highlighting a total of 15 arrests made over the past few weeks in relation to six separate incidents targeting Jewish establishments, a Jewish ambulance service, and a Persian media entity.
Furthermore, Mr. Jukes cautioned that individuals carrying out such attacks as hired assailants were engaging in a risky game that could lead to lengthy prison terms. Additional patrols have been deployed, with an officer alerting authorities at the Kenton synagogue in the early hours of Sunday, where a broken window was observed at the front of the building situated between a school and children’s playground.
A group identifying as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia claimed responsibility for the attack in a later-posted video, with police suspecting potential ties to Iranian intelligence. The video displayed the group’s logo featuring an arm holding an assault rifle, accompanied by messages in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. The English message asserted the synagogue’s significance as a Zionist hub in London, further identifying the rabbi and chairwoman as key figures of the establishment.
The arson at Kenton United Synagogue follows the torching of four Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green a month ago, similarly claimed by Ashab al-Yamin in a video circulated on Telegram. Recent incidents include the arrest of a man and woman for throwing petrol bombs at Finchley Reform Synagogue, alongside an attempted assault on an anti-Iranian regime media entity in Wembley.
Concerns arose regarding potential attacks on London’s Israeli embassy over the weekend, with an unsuccessful arson attempt on a Jewish-linked building in Hendon on Saturday.