A jury at London's Old Bailey court has convicted 34-year-old Kuwaiti national Abdullah Albadri of preparing terrorist acts and possessing two knives, following an attempt to scale the fence of Israel's embassy in west London in April 2025. The incident occurred shortly after British authorities rejected his asylum application.
Armed police intercepted Albadri as he climbed an eight-foot-high perimeter fence at the embassy, carrying two knives. During the trial, the court heard that Albadri intended to “exact revenge” for the killing of children in Gaza. Body camera footage from police officers showed him telling them: “I wanna make a crime inside there, why are you stopping me?” Officers also discovered a so-called “martyrdom note” during a search.
Albadri had entered the UK twice via small boats but was denied asylum in April 2025. He claimed to have been jailed and mistreated in Kuwait for campaigning on human rights. His defence lawyer, Chris Henry, argued that his client was in a “state of total despair” after his asylum rejection and subsequent eviction from an asylum hotel, and that he had sought help. “This case is about a human being in real distress and what is going on inside his head,” Henry told the court.
Jurors deliberated for nearly 14 hours before rejecting Albadri's claim that the knives were for “personal use” due to homelessness. He has been remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled for a later date.
Rising Threat Landscape in the UK
The conviction came the day after Britain's security services raised the national terrorism threat level to “severe,” the second-highest on a five-tier scale, indicating that an attack is “highly likely in the next six months.” This escalation followed the stabbings of two Jewish men in north London on Wednesday, as well as a series of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community and other growing extremist threats. For more on the stabbings, see our coverage of the charges.
The UK's move to raise the threat level reflects broader concerns across Europe about rising antisemitism and extremism, particularly in the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict. The case of Albadri, a foreign national whose asylum claim was denied, highlights the challenges European countries face in balancing security with humanitarian obligations.
Albadri's attempt on the Israeli embassy is part of a pattern of attacks linked to the conflict. In a separate incident, a flotilla of activists was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, as reported in our article on the flotilla's disembarkation in Crete. The UK's heightened alert also follows the stabbing in Golders Green, detailed in our report on the threat level increase.
The conviction underscores the ongoing security challenges in London, a city that remains a target for extremist actors. As the UK and other European nations grapple with the fallout from international conflicts, the need for robust counter-terrorism measures and community cohesion has never been more pressing.
