King Charles hailed as ‘genuine friend’ of Jewish community after meeting victims of Golders Green stabbings – UK Times

King Charles has visited Golders Green to offer a show of support to the Jewish community and meet victims of last month’s stabbings in the area.

On Thursday, the monarch attended a Jewish Care charity centre where he spoke with Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, also known as Norman Shine.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley were also in attendance.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis expressed the community’s gratitude, telling the King they “appreciate it enormously” that he had made the visit.

Charles also engaged with members of Shomrim, the Jewish community police force, who were involved in responding to the attacks on April 29.

Mr Shine, who was stabbed in the neck outside a bus stop during the incident, later shared his experience, speaking about the “genuine warmth” he had felt from the King.

He said: “He was very concerned.

“The most inspiring thing was that he didn’t let go of my hand, I mean it was amazing, he is the King but I felt a genuine warmth and concern.”

He said that the visit felt “extremely important” for the whole Jewish community.

“We feel we have a genuine friend in the King,” he added.

After meeting with the victims, the King greeted the crowds gathered outside the charity centre on Golders Green Road.

He waved to the crowds gathered outside and was greeted with chants of “long live the King”.

Charles shook hands with a man who turned 100 on Thursday.

“I hope they give you a good celebration, and I hope you get a card from me,” the King said.

He was then presented with a loaf of traditional Challah bread outside Grodz bakery on the high street, and spoke to children from a local primary school.

The alleged Golders Green attacker Essa Suleiman, 45, has been remanded in custody accused of three counts of attempted murder.

Suleiman is accused of trying to kill his friend of 20 years, Ishmail Hussein at his home in Southwark before stabbing the two Jewish victims in the street on April 29.

Suleiman was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s, and was reported to Prevent, the Government’s anti-extremism programme, in 2020 but the case was closed the same year.