A 22-year-old Jewish man visiting London from Israel was allegedly attacked by a group of men in Golders Green, north London, in the early hours of Monday morning. Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation and are treating the case as an anti-Semitic hate crime.The victim suffered injuries to his face, neck and back and was taken to hospital for treatment and later released, the BBC reported. The Metropolitan Police said officers received reports shortly after 2 a.m. that a Jewish man had been attacked by several assailants.
“They kicked me like an animal”
The victim recalled the brutal attack in an interview with the BBC, saying: “They kicked me like an animal and they didn’t stop. They shouted ‘Are you a Jew’? I thought they were going to kill me.”The man claimed that about five men attacked him while he was speaking to friends on the phone. He claimed the attacker cursed him during the attack and tore his trousers, leaving only one shoe.
Victim believes he was targeted for speaking Hebrew
The victim told the BBC he believed he was specifically targeted because he spoke Hebrew and was visibly Jewish. He said he had previously felt safe in the city, despite hearing about recent anti-Semitic incidents in London.“It was remote to me and I felt safe. But now that it’s happened to me, I think London and Europe need to make some big changes,” he said.The Metropolitan Police confirmed an investigation into the attack was ongoing and appealed for witnesses to come forward. No arrests have been made so far.
Anti-Semitic incidents increase
It comes amid growing concerns about anti-Semitic attacks in London, particularly after last month’s stabbing in Golders Green and several attacks, including arson, on Jewish venues in the capital.Jewish security charity Community Security Trust described the incident as a “violent and shocking attack”.Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Police announced the creation of a new Community Protection Team, including 100 officers, to help protect London’s Jewish community.
