Two teenagers have been arrested in relation to the arson attack at Kenton United Synagogue at the weekend, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.
A bottle containing accelerant was thrown through windows of the shul on Shaftesbury Avenue, in Harrow, at around midnight on Sunday, causing minor smoke damage but no injuries or significant damage to the building.
The Kenton case marks the latest in a string of attacks over the past week alone against the Jewish community. It follows the attempted arson attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue last Tuesday and a separate attack on the former site of charity Jewish Futures in Hendon on Friday.
A 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old man have been arrested in connection with the Hendon incident, the Met said.
“Overnight, officers arrested a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man in the London area in connection with the arson attack at the Kenton United Synagogue. They remain in custody,” the force said in a statement.
Police, fire crews and members of CST all attended the scene and the synagogue was blocked off.
The Islamist group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya - The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand – has claimed responsibility for the attack on Kenton shul in a post on social media, though this has not been verified.
Bob Blackman, the Conservative MP for Harrow East, where Kenton synagogue is located, described the incident as “another attempt at intimidating the Jewish population”.
He said: “It is another outrageous attack on the Jewish community."
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has described the spate of attacks on Jewish sites as “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community”.
United Synagogue (US) president Saul Taylor said: “We are yet again deeply saddened by the arson attacks that have taken place... including the attack on Kenton United Synagogue, one of our own communities.
“A synagogue is not just a building, it is a place of worship, community and – theoretically – safety. To target it in this way is a deeply disturbing act that strikes at the heart of Jewish life.
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