\n In February, a Muslim community group announced they were making plans to purchase the old synagogue and turn it into a mosque [GETTY]<\/p>\n
A former synagogue in London has been targeted by an arson attack, amid ongoing media coverage of\u00a0antisemitism<\/a> which has seen right-wing and pro-Israel politicians call for a ban on pro-Palestine marches.<\/p>\n The East London Central Synagogue, a former Orthodox Jewish place of worship on Nelson Street in Whitechapel, had been closed since 2020 after its roof collapsed.<\/p>\n As news spread of the attack, so did claims that the former synagogue was now a mosque.<\/p>\n Last February, a Muslim community group announced they were making plans to purchase the disused synagogue and turn it intoa mosque.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> released on Tuesday, the Ashaadibi Education and Cultural Centre said they had recently made a deposit to purchase the synagogue and “restore it into a community hub, providing space for worship, education, and provisions for women and youth, as well as a place for community development and fostering dialogue”.<\/p>\n “We unequivocally condemn this cowardly act of arson and any form of violence or intimidation directed at places of worship and the communities they serve. An attack on a house of worship is an attack on all of us,” the statement added.<\/p>\n Counter-terrorism police said they are investigating whether the attack is part of an arson campaign<\/a> against the Jewish community in London.<\/p>\n Witnesses revealed there was an attempt to break the window and throw something into it, while CCTV showed two men wearing hoodies carrying out the attack.<\/p>\n Police said, “minor damage was caused to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the building”, and no one was injured.<\/p>\n A group allegedly linked to Iran called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), which has claimed responsibility for previous attacks, noted the attack but did not claim responsibility.<\/p>\n The latest incident follows a series of attacks in March targeting the Jewish community in London amid the Iran war<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just hours before the attack, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a summit in Downing Street focused on tackling antisemitism, saying he would be fast-tracking hate crime prosecutions, announcing an extra \u00a31.5 million in funding<\/a> to protect the Jewish community, calling the situation a “crisis”.<\/p>\n