Essex Police have arrested two men after an attack on a rabbi.
(Picture: PA)Two men have been arrested on suspicion of GBH with intent after a rabbi was attacked in Essex.
The men, 18 and 25, are being questioned on suspicion of the assault in Chigwell.
Rabbi Rafi Goodwin was hospitalised after being attacked outside his synagogue on Sunday.
An Essex police statement released on Monday said: “Two men from Ilford, aged 18 and 25, were arrested this afternoon on suspicion of GBH with intent.
“They are currently in custody.”
The arrests of the men from east London came as Robert Jenrick criticised a “deeply disturbing upsurge in anti-Semitism” in a statement before MPs.
The Communities Minister spoke out following a number of incidents including the assault on the rabbi and abuse being hurled in a Jewish community in north London.
Four men have been arrested after anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a car covered with Palestinian flags passing down Finchley Road on videos shared on social media.
Sunday’s incident received cross-party criticism, with the Prime Minister condemning the acts as “shameful racism” that have “no place” in society.
Mr Jenrick said the attacks that took place over the weekend were “racist and extremely serious crimes”.
Making a statement to the Commons, he said: “No-one could fail to be appalled by the disgraceful scenes of anti-Semitic abuse being directed at members of the Jewish community in the past week.
“These are intimidatory, racist and extremely serious crimes.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel also referred to the “ugly” scenes seen in London over the weekend.
She told the Commons: “The streets of London, our great capital city, saw people waving anti-Semitic placards comparing Israel with Nazi Germany, it heard violent chants of ‘kill the Jews’ along with many other abhorrent chants and rhetoric that I will not repeat.
“All MPs will have seen the footage of the convoy of cars driving down Finchley Road. That was nothing to do with Palestine or Israel. It was pure and simple anti-Semitism, which sought to intimidate, harass and frighten members of the Jewish community.
“I am sickened by the behaviours that were witnessed over the weekend.”
