A 45-year-old man appeared in a London court on Friday charged with attempted murder over an attack during which two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in what officers have called a suspected terrorist incident.

Following the attack, officials raised the national terrorism threat to its second-highest level, meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely within the next six months.

The stabbings followed a spate of incidents targeting Jewish premises in the same area of north London, home to a large Jewish population, prompting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to vow stronger action to protect Jewish people.

Pro-Palestinian marches due to take place in the future could now face new restrictions amid widespread calls for more protection for Britain’s small Jewish community of about 290,000.

On Friday, Essa Suleiman appeared at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with two counts of the attempted murder of 34-year-old Shloime Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Shine – named in the charges as Norman Shine – and possession of a bladed article in relation to Wednesday’s attack.

Police earlier said that Rand had been released from hospital, while Shine remained in a stable condition.

Suleiman, a British national who was born in Somalia, is also charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident earlier on the same day in south London.

He appeared in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit on Friday, when prosecutor Emma Harraway said Suleiman had attacked a former friend in south London on Wednesday morning before carrying out an attack in north London later that day.

Suleiman was remanded in custody and will appear at London’s Old Bailey court on May 15.