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LONDON (JTA) — Employees and buyers at a family-owned kosher grocery store in one in every of London’s most Jewish neighborhoods fended off a knife-wielding attacker who was demanding to know whether or not its homeowners supported “Israel or Palestine” on Monday.
Police arrested a 34-year-old man on suspicion of “racially-aggravated affray” after the person allegedly returned to the grocery store following a primary confrontation with employees there.
The assault at Kay’s Native within the northwest London neighborhood of Golders Inexperienced befell on Monday afternoon. There have been no accidents reported, regardless of a bodily battle exterior the shop.
“This man got here into the store and began asking one of many cashiers: ‘Who do you assist, is it Israel or Palestine,’” an worker known as Moishe instructed the Jewish Telegraphic Company. The 18-year-old declined to offer his final identify, citing safety issues.
“The cashier mentioned: ‘We’re impartial, you possibly can assist who you need, I can assist who I would like,’” he added. “Finally, he left the store, however got here again a minute later.”
The 34-year-old man, who was bearded and hooded, was ushered exterior of the Hamilton Street retailer “the place he began talking about it once more,” Moishe recounted.
The attacker then grabbed the neck of 18-year-old Yosef Chaim, who then tried to sort out the person. “I realized Krav Maga at college and different martial arts,” Yosef instructed the Jewish Chronicle.
Moishe mentioned the assailant was clutching a blue knife behind his again. “He tried stabbing him, attacking him. [Yosef] took a trolley and pushed him over, after which he went into the store once more to try to shield himself.”
These within the store grabbed objects together with a broomstick and a youngsters’s scooter as they tried to combat off the attacker. Yosef’s father, shopkeeper Eyvatar Reitman, 48, instructed the Jewish Chronicle, “I may see the hate in his eyes. He appeared like he got here in in search of a combat.”
The attacker was tackled by volunteers from Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighborhood watch group in London, and officers from the Metropolitan Police. Movies posted on social media confirmed him fighting officers.
The incident comes as native Jews are on edge amid a spike in antisemitic incidents and sustained shows of anti-Israel sentiment in London since Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel. Information from the Group Safety Belief, a Jewish safety group, indicated that antisemitic incidents in the UK rose to report ranges since Oct. 7, with 2,093 incidents reported within the 68 days after the assault. In a single notable incident final week that police are investigating as a hate crime, three Jews in London mentioned that they had been attacked by a big group as a result of they have been talking Hebrew.
No person was injured within the combating with the attacker, who crossed the street after being fought off. “He then went into his home and altered his garments,” Moishe mentioned. “He left his weapon in there.”
Kay’s Native goes to “try to get safety,” Moishe mentioned, including, “London’s not protected.”
The Metropolitan Police mentioned in a press release that officers have been known as to reply “to reviews of a person with a knife in Hamilton Street” at 1:27 p.m. Simply over 10 minutes later, it mentioned, it took a person into custody. “A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, prison injury and racially-aggravated affray,” the police mentioned.
The assertion added that the incident was not being handled as “terror-related.”
Inspector Scott Barden-Marshall added: “I do know this incident will trigger concern in the neighborhood. Officers responded rapidly and made an arrest inside 10 minutes. An investigation is now beneath method to set up the circumstances.”
The Group Safety Belief urged “the neighborhood to stay vigilant and alert.”
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