'It's like the Holocaust': Golders Green gang-beating victim tells 'Post' - interview

Lead

A 22-year-old Israeli man was assaulted by a group of men in Golders Green, London, in the early hours of Monday, in an incident that police are investigating as an antisemitic hate crime. The victim, identified by the Jewish Chronicle and confirmed by the Jerusalem Post as Shalev Ben Yakar, was taken to a hospital with injuries to his face and back and has since been released.

The Metropolitan Police told the Jerusalem Post they arrived at the scene within six minutes of being summoned and spoke to the victim. As of Monday night, no arrests had been made, though the force said the attack was being treated as a hate crime.

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post provided two separate reports on the incident. The first, published Monday evening, outlined the basic details of the attack. The second, published Tuesday, focused on the victim’s personal account, including his description of the assault and his reaction. The same core facts—the location, the victim’s age, the nature of the injuries, and the police’s treatment of the case—were reported consistently across both pieces, drawing on police confirmations and the victim's account as relayed through the Jewish Chronicle.

The second story introduced additional details originally reported by the Jewish Chronicle and included in quotes from Ben Yakar provided directly to the Post. While the basic elements of the attack are consistent across both sources, the specific claims about what the attackers shouted and how the victim was identified are attributed to the victim’s own account, which has not been independently verified by other news outlets.

Key Claims

• Police confirmed to the Jerusalem Post that a Jewish man was assaulted by several men in Golders Green before dawn on Monday, and the assault is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. No arrests had been made by Monday night.
• The victim is 22-year-old Shalev Ben Yakar, an Israeli national, according to the Jewish Chronicle and reported by the Jerusalem Post. He suffered injuries to his face and back and was taken to the hospital.
• Ben Yakar told the Jewish Chronicle that he had stepped outside his apartment late at night to speak on the phone with friends. When a group of five or six men heard him speaking Hebrew, they chased him, shouting and cursing in Arabic, before catching him. They then dragged him across the road, tore his clothes, and beat him until he lost consciousness.
• The victim was not wearing any identifiable Jewish symbols, such as a kippah, according to Ben Yakar, and he therefore believes he was targeted specifically because he was speaking Hebrew. This claim has been reported only via his account.
• In an interview with the Post on Tuesday, Ben Yakar stated that the incident has not put him off returning to London, a city he said he loves. He noted that this was his first experience of antisemitism during his visits to the capital.

Perspectives

The attack has been condemned by the Jewish community. The Jewish Leadership Council referred to it as “another appalling attack in the heart of the Jewish community in Golders Green” and called for a robust response from law enforcement. The Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism in the UK, has also been mentioned in the reports but no details were provided.

The victim’s account places the attack in a broader social and historical context. In his interview, Yakar remarked, “It's a dark time in Europe, like in the Holocaust,” a comment that closely parallels the Holocaust. His emotional statement reflects a deep sense of insecurity among European Jews amid rising antisemitism.

At the time of writing, the investigation is ongoing. Ben Yakut said he had spoken with the Metropolitan Police but could not discuss the details further while the case was open.

Ben Yakar’s determination to continue visiting London—a city he said he loves—may offer a nuanced angle: while the attack has deeply affected him, it has not altered his personal ties to the city. This detail, drawn from his own words, adds a personal dimension to an otherwise stark hate crime statistic.

The attack comes on the heels of another violent antisemitic incident in the same area—two Jewish men who had been stabbed in Golders Green weeks prior. That earlier incident was not detailed but is mentioned in the first report.

The local Jewish community has been facing increased security concerns, as shown in the response from community groups, and the police have both called for witnesses and are treating the attack with urgency. However, with no arrests yet, the community remains in fear regarding further incidents.