Church of England leaders have spoken out following a series of attacks on Jewish sites in London, condemning the incidents as “abhorrent” and expressing solidarity with those affected.
The London College of Bishops said the targeting of synagogues, charities and community spaces is intended to intimidate Jewish people and has no place in a diverse and peaceful society.
In a strongly worded statement, the bishops warned that violence, hatred and intimidation against any faith group undermines trust and damages the life of the whole city.
"All people must be able to live, gather and worship in safety, without threat or hostility. We stand in solidarity with those directly affected and with London’s Jewish communities at this deeply distressing time," they said.
"Antisemitism does not exist in isolation. It sits within a wider pattern of religious hate and racism. No form of prejudice should be normalised, excused or left unchallenged. We call on those with responsibility in public life to act decisively to protect all places of worship, to challenge hatred wherever it appears, and to give clear reassurance to communities who feel increasingly vulnerable.
"Our Christian faith teaches us that every person is made in the image of God. That conviction calls us to stand alongside our Jewish neighbours today, and to work for a London tomorrow in which fear has no authority and hatred finds no shelter."
The statement on Monday came as the Metropolitan Police said officers had arrested two people over an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in north London over the weekend.
A 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were taken into custody in connection with the incident, which occurred early on Sunday morning, police said. The fire caused minor smoke damage to an internal room, and no injuries were reported.
The attack on Kenton United Synagogue was the latest in a series of incidents targeting Jewish sites across the capital. Police are investigating six antisemitic incidents that have taken place between March and April.
Matt Jukes, head of counter-terrorism policing, said officers had stepped up surveillance in Jewish areas.
"We've got drones, motorbikes, armed officers, taser-armed officers," he told LBC Radio. "It was one of those patrols that came across the incident in Kenton United Synagogue."
Police also briefly cordoned off an area near the Israeli embassy in London over the weekend following an online report that it had been targeted with drones carrying "dangerous substances". Officers later said items recovered did not contain any harmful or hazardous materials.
Data from the UK government shows Jewish people experience the highest rate of religious hate crime in England and Wales. Meanwhile, monitoring group the Community Security Trust recorded around 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025—one of the highest annual totals on record, following a spike after the October 7 attacks in Israel in 2023.
(Reuters contributed to this report)
