In a turn of events that has everyone in Britain clutching their bagels a little tighter, the suspect arrested over Wednesday's Golders Green stabbing attacks has been identified as Essa Suleiman, aged 45. The Metropolitan Police nabbed him in the north-west London suburb shortly after two Jewish men were stabbed, and he's currently enjoying some complimentary hospitality in a police cell.
Suleiman, born in February 1981, is of Somali heritage and reportedly came to Britain as a child. He's described as a British national, and Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley - who notably didn't name him, because that's how these things work - says the suspect has a history of 'serious violence' and mental health issues. The incident is being treated as terrorism, and police have been chatting with the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorises criminal charges in England and Wales, because that's just how the system operates.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has seized the moment to deliver his strongest-ever remarks on antisemitism, calling on everyone to 'open their eyes to Jewish pain' and accusing anyone marching alongside Hamas supporters of 'venerating the murder of Jews'. He made these pearls of wisdom after visiting the attack site for a meeting with emergency workers and community leaders, where he was greeted by heckles from Stop the Hate protestors - a group campaigning against antisemitism - with one brave soul branding him a 'traitor' for failing to keep Jews safe.
In a statement from Downing Street, Starmer said new powers are needed to protect the Jewish community after the stabbing attack, which he noted was 'not a one-off'. Two Jewish men remain hospitalised with knife wounds. 'Antisemitism is an old, old hatred,' he intoned, 'history shows that the roots are deep, and if you turn away, it grows back.' He also criticised people who march alongside Hamas supporters without calling it out, but the government has stopped short of endorsing a pause on pro-Palestine marches, as suggested by Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.
Hall, for his part, has called for a pause in pro-Palestinian protests where 'public demonisation and hatred is incubated', arguing that 'demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack'. He acknowledged the suspect's motivation is yet to be established but believes there's a 'social responsibility' to reduce risks and that antisemitism represents 'a national security emergency'.
The political circus continued with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch visiting Golders Green and saying the community doesn't feel the government is doing enough. 'You could feel the fear that was on the streets,' she told BBC Radio London. Former PM Theresa May chimed in on X, agreeing with chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis that 'words of condemnation are no longer sufficient'. London mayor Sadiq Khan said Jewish Londoners 'want to see more action, not words', noting the Met has surged policing in Barnet over the last four weeks.
John Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, declared British Jews are at 'breaking point' and feel they can no longer live safely in the UK. 'Don't forget, everyone in the Jewish community is fleeing from somewhere,' the Labour peer told Sky News. In a rare moment of unity, several leading imams, including Scotland's chief imam Sayed Razawi, have 'utterly condemned' the attack, joining Jewish leaders who signed the Drumlanrig Accords last year to strengthen Jewish-Muslim relations.
Starmer also held a roundtable with first responders and leaders from Hatzola and Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish security group, joined by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, MP Sarah Sackman, and Met commissioner Mark Rowley. He's since posted on X that Jewish people 'belong here', adding that the government is 'taking immediate action' with enhanced funding for patrols and fast-tracking legislation on malign state actors.
But not everyone is feeling the love. Shahram Akbari, 56, a businessman and activist, told reporters he felt 'positive' that Nigel Farage had visited Golders Green, and had some choice words for Starmer: 'We don't want to see any Starmer, any kind of pigs... We call him in Iran, Ayatollah Starmer.' He accused the PM of being 'complicit' in the deaths of Iranians by not banning the IRGC.
And then there's Justin, a 93-year-old resident who's seen it all. 'I think religion is causing too much hatred,' he mused, adding that he's born Jewish but not religious. 'What can they do? People are back to normal. They're driving, they're shopping. What's a politician going to do?' He wasn't impressed by Starmer's visit: 'He could have come here. He didn't have to wait till somebody got stabbed... They want to get re-elected, so they want to show up at difficult times. It's normal. I feel safe. Safe as you can be.'
Starmer, when asked about reports that the suspect had previously been referred to Prevent, said the programme was reviewed after the Southport attacks. He also addressed a victim who said he felt let down, expressing understanding of the 'high levels of anxiety and concern'. The government is looking at further measures on protests, including chants, banners, and the 'repeated nature' of protests, and will 'fast-track powers to deal with malign state actors'.
In his Downing Street address, Starmer declared that British values 'are not a gift handed down generation-to-generation, but something we earn each day'. He warned that if you march with people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, 'you are venerating the murder of Jews', and that those who say 'globalise the Intifada' should be prosecuted. The government will also prevent hate preachers from entering the country and work to speed up sentencing for antisemitic attacks.
So, in summary: a suspect is in custody, politicians are pontificating, and a 93-year-old is wondering what all the fuss is about. The investigation continues, and the Jewish community is left to wonder if any of this will make a difference.