One of the two victims of a suspected terror attack has described it as a “miracle” that he survived, speaking from his hospital bed.
Two individuals, aged 76 and 34, were stabbed shortly after 11am on Wednesday, April 29 in Golders Green. One of the victims, Shilome Rand, was stabbed in the chest as he left a synagogue. The attacks come in the wake of a series of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community in London.
Rand, 34, who remains in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries, told ITV News: “People are really concerned, people are afraid, people are uncomfortable walking in the street, people are blaming obviously the government for not doing anything about what’s going on.
“It’s for the past few months really that our community is suffering from these type of attacks. And now it’s going on and trying to take people’s lives and it’s really terrible.
“The government, they are the ones that are able to take care of the problems. And they are not doing their job.”
While it was initially feared that Shilome would require emergency surgery, doctors subsequently established that his wound was less severe than originally thought.
“Thanks to God that I am recovering, and the wound isn’t so bad as they initially thought,” he said.
“I am here and I can talk, and it’s really a miracle that has happened to me today.”
The second victim, 76 year old Moshe Shine, was attacked at a bus stop and was also taken to hospital. Disturbing video footage of the shocking incident shows the suspect walking before lunging at the 76 year old victim and carrying out the assault.
A further video captures the suspect approaching two Met officers and a volunteer from the Jewish security organisation Shomrim, clutching a knife.
An officer deployed Pava spray in an attempt to overpower him before the suspect was brought down with a Taser, according to the Guardian.
The suspect falls to the ground as officers kick him in the head, shouting at him to “drop the knife”, while attempting to restrain his hands behind his back with handcuffs.
A member of the public appears to assist the two officers, at one point sitting on top of the suspect.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The antisemitic attack in Golders Green is utterly appalling. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain.”
The PM chaired a meeting of the Government’s Cobra crisis committee in the aftermath of the attack, pledging swift action: “I’m holding a meeting tomorrow with the criminal justice agencies to make sure that we have effective and swift justice in these cases.
“But we do have to recognise the levels of anxiety and concern there are, that I know about in terms of the Jewish community feeling very much exposed and vulnerable, feeling they’ve got to hide their identity, sometimes in the health service, sometimes at school, on the streets where they live.”