Two men have been arrested after a rabbi was assaulted and left in need of hospital treatment in Essex. 

The suspects, from Ilford, were picked up this afternoon on suspicion of GBH with intent and are currently in custody. 

The 18 and 25 year olds are accused of attacking Rafi Goodwin with an unknown object following a verbal altercation in Limes Avenue, Chigwell, before stealing his phone. 

The incident occurred at around 1.15pm yesterday and saw Mr Goodwin require treatment at King George’s Hospital after suffering cuts to his head and face. 

Essex Police yesterday said they believed two assailants stepped out in front of Mr Goodwin’s car as he was driving and began shouting at him ‘in a derogatory way about his religion before going on to damage his car’. 

‘When he got out of his car to confront them, he was attacked with an unknown object causing him to require hospital treatment,’ the force said. 

But police said they do not believe the incident is ‘related to events taking place overseas or incidents which have taken place elsewhere in the country’.

The attack came on the same day thousands of pro Palestinian protestors marched through the streets of London.

Later in the evening, a convoy of cars was filmed driving through St John’s Wood in London while passengers aboard shouted ‘f***k the Jews’ and hurled other offensive insults. 

On the attack of the rabbi, an Essex Police spokesman said today: ‘Throughout the day our officers have been engaging with local Jewish communities to provide reassurance and updates following from the incident. 

‘Community members and religious leaders, who are celebrating Shavuot, have been speaking to our officers in Chigwell and Southend this morning.’

The leader of Redbridge Council, Jas Athwal, said yesterday: ‘Essex Police have confirmed that they are treating today’s attack on Rabbi Rafi as an a anti-Semitic hate crime, however police are not linking the motives of this crime to heightened tensions in the Middle East and the current hostilities in Israel and Palestine.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper added: ‘We know this is a very important time – a time for communities to come together, to be around each other and celebrate.

‘We do not want anyone to feel that they cannot do that safely.

‘Officers have spent the day speaking with the Jewish community to provide reassurance.

‘At this time we do not believe this incident is related to events taking place overseas or incidents which have taken place elsewhere in the country.’

Anyone with information on the Chigwell attack is being asked to contact police. 

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