London Synagogue Targeted in Arson Attack, Third Incident This Week A North London synagogue suffered minor smoke damage after an arson attack overnight, marking the third such incident targeting Jewish properties in the city this week. Counterterrorism police are investigating the series of attacks, with increased patrols in Jewish communities. A group linked to Iran has claimed responsibility for some incidents, as antisemitic incidents in the UK reach record highs. A synagogue in North London sustained smoke damage following an apparent arson attack during the night. This incident marks the third such occurrence targeting Jewish properties in the city this week, and follows a similar event just one day prior. The Community Security Trust, an organization that offers safety guidance to Jewish groups, confirmed that the Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow experienced minor smoke damage to a room. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. The Metropolitan Police stated that their officers discovered damage to the building's window on Saturday night. Subsequent investigations by forensic officers and law enforcement officials on Sunday morning involved inspecting the cordoned-off scene. According to a police statement, initial examination revealed evidence of a bottle containing an accelerant being thrown through the window, leading to smoke inside a room. The chief rabbi of Britain, Ephraim Mirvis, expressed his deep concern on social media, characterizing the recent spate of attacks as indicative of a growing and sustained campaign of violence and intimidation directed at the Jewish community in the UK. He emphasized that while lives have been spared thus far, society must not wait for a tragedy to occur before recognizing the severe danger these events pose to the broader fabric of society. Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced his outrage, condemning the attacks as abhorrent and unacceptable, stating that assaults on the Jewish community are essentially attacks on Britain itself. He vowed that the authorities would relentlessly pursue those responsible. Counterterrorism police are actively investigating a series of arson and attempted arson incidents that have occurred against Jewish properties in London over the past month. In response to these threats, officers have increased their presence and patrols in areas with significant Jewish populations. The pattern of attacks includes an incident late Friday at a building that formerly housed a Jewish charity in Hendon, a north London neighborhood close to Harrow, where no injuries were reported. Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, two individuals were apprehended by police in connection with an arson attack on a synagogue in the nearby area of Finchley. Towards the end of March, four Jewish community ambulances were set ablaze in Golders Green, another north London locality. Responsibility for several of these attacks has been claimed by a lesser-known group identified as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which is reportedly linked to Iran, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. This organization has previously asserted involvement in comparable incidents in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Community Security Trust has documented a significant rise in antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom, with 3,700 reported in 2025, representing the second-highest annual total ever recorded by the organization. This alarming trend underscores the escalating challenges in ensuring the safety and security of the Jewish community.