A former barrister has described how he witnessed a neo-Nazi attack outside a kosher restaurant situated in the heart of the orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of Golders Green, North West London.

Dr Neville Kesselman, who is in his seventies, was with a group of friends when he saw two men “marching with a military purpose” up Golders Green Road toward the restaurant. He reported they both had shaven heads associated with right wing political movements.

As they reached the front of the White House Express restaurant, said Dr Kesselman, the two men turned sharply as if on parade, performed the Nazi salute and shouted forcefully together, “Adolf Hitler Heil!”

One of the customers contacted Shomrim NW London who dispatched members to follow the two men whilst also dispatching members to the restaurant to give reassurance to the elderly gentleman and his colleagues.

Dr Kesselman, a former senior crown prosecutor, told the Jewish Chronicle, “It was clearly racially aggravated. Diners were shocked and deeply hurt that the incident should take place shortly after Yom HaShoah.”

The two men were pursued by volunteers from Shomrim and were subsequently arrested by police officers outside Golders Green Tube station.

Shomrim NW London’s chief executive Gavriel Ost said “as the two men posed no immediate threat, our volunteers followed them at a safe distance whilst liaising with police. We are pleased that we were able to assist in the arrest of these two suspects.”
Ost added “One of the main goals of Shomrim is to bridge the gap between an incident and the arrival of police, guiding responding police officers to a suspect’s whereabouts.”

Dr Kesselman told Hamodia newspaper “this was a deliberate insult to the Jewish people. They had come over here specially to do this.” He added “I and other victims of this insult have friends and relatives who are Holocaust survivors and this is an affront to them”

Barnet police confirmed two men were arrested following an allegation of a racially motivated public order offence and it is understood at the time of going to press will be held in custody until the court hearing, due to concerns about granting bail.

(Source: Jewish Cronicle and Hamodia UK)