A 22-year-old Jewish man was assaulted by around five men in Golders Green, north London, in the early hours of May 18, 2026. The attack occurred outside a property on the Grove at about 2:05 a.m., police said, with officers arriving within six minutes and taking the victim to hospital for treatment of injuries to his face, neck, and back [1, 2].
The victim, a tourist from Israel, told police he believed he was targeted because he was speaking Hebrew and appeared visibly Jewish. He described the attackers kicking him repeatedly while shouting, "Are you Jewish?" and attacking him while he was on the phone. "They kicked me like an animal and didn’t stop. They were shouting ‘Are you Jewish’? I was thinking they could kill me," he said [2].
No arrests have been made so far. Police are investigating the assault as a hate crime motivated by antisemitism [1, 2].
Golders Green hosts one of the largest Jewish communities in the UK and Europe and has recently seen several antisemitic incidents including arson and stabbings [1, 2]. In response, the Metropolitan Police announced in early June the creation of a Community Protection Team adding 100 officers tasked with protecting Jewish communities across London [2].
Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, condemned the attack as "intolerable" and said, "The recent spate of antisemitic attacks and terror have struck fear into the heart of our community and I am pushing for more action at every level" [1].
