London Jews warn of security crisis after antisemitic arson attacks

Jewish security leaders praised the London Fire Brigade's response to a wave of antisemitic arson attacks between March and May 2026, but warned the incidents exposed a broader security crisis for British Jews. At a London Assembly Fire Committee meeting, CST CEO Mark Gardner and Hatzolah NW's Yanky David described the attacks as traumatic and warned against normalization.

Jewish security leaders praised the London Fire Brigade for its response to a wave of antisemitic arson attacks across London between March and May 2026, but warned the incidents exposed a broader security crisis facing British Jews. At a London Assembly Fire Committee meeting on Tuesday, Community Security Trust CEO Mark Gardner and Hatzolah NW's Yanky David described the attacks as traumatic for the community. Gardner noted the "randomness" of the attacks, which targeted synagogues, Jewish businesses, and Hatzolah ambulances, and expressed concern about attacks becoming normalized. He warned that the community cannot keep "building bigger walls" and that the situation will worsen until the underlying reasons for the hatred are addressed. David recalled the burning of four Hatzolah ambulances, saying it felt like "ripping out the defibrillators from every public building in London." London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith acknowledged the operational pressure, saying he had never seen such pressure in 27 years, and stated the brigade will need direct government funding for its national security role. The meeting included a demonstration of the LFB's marauding terrorist attack response capability.