Failed Asylum Seeker Jailed for Life Over Knife Attack Attempt at Israeli Embassy

A failed asylum seeker who attempted to break into the Israeli embassy in London carrying two knives has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 20 years.

Abdullah Albadri, 34, was convicted of preparing terrorist acts and possessing two bladed articles after attempting to climb over a security fence at the embassy in Kensington on 28 April 2025.

The court heard that Albadri had arrived in the UK by small boat just 16 days before the attempted attack and had been motivated by the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.

Armed officers stopped attack

Albadri walked from north London towards the embassy on the afternoon of the attempted attack, wearing a red and white traditional Arabic scarf around his head and sunglasses.

The Israeli embassy is situated among several diplomatic buildings in west London and is protected by armed officers around the clock.

At around 18:00, Albadri reportedly saluted towards two diplomatic protection officers before attempting to climb the security fence.

The armed officers pulled him from the railings and detained him before he could enter the embassy grounds.

A search found two blades, each around 10cm long, along with a handwritten copy of a verse titled “the benefit of martyrdom”.

‘I want to make a crime inside there’

During questioning, Albadri told officers: “I want to make a crime inside there. Why are you stopping me?”

He later told police that he had wanted “to do something to stop the war”.

The Old Bailey heard evidence that he may also have intended to provoke armed officers into shooting him.

Prosecutor Catherine Pattison told the court that Albadri intended to carry out an act that would have resulted in the “sacrifice of his life”.

She also warned that people were leaving the embassy at the time he attempted to climb the fence and could have been unable to defend themselves had he breached the security perimeter.

Defence argues attack could not have succeeded

Albadri's defence barrister, Chris Henley, argued that the plan could never have succeeded and that there had been no serious risk of anyone being harmed.

He described his client's actions as an “absurd, performative fashion” designed to attract attention.

The court also heard that Albadri had spent the morning attempting to obtain help with accommodation.

Albadri had initially entered the UK by small boat in August 2021 and claimed asylum before returning to France without receiving a decision.

He crossed the Channel again in April 2025 and was initially placed in a hotel in Basingstoke for three days before being told he was not eligible for accommodation because of his outstanding asylum application.

Life sentence imposed

Mrs Justice Lambert KC sentenced Albadri to life imprisonment on Monday, with a minimum term of 20 years.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the attack attempt had been prevented by the “courageous and swift actions” of officers who stopped Albadri from breaching the embassy's security perimeter.

She said the sentence reflected the danger he posed and what she described as his lack of remorse following his arrest.

The commander added that the Israeli embassy had faced several security alerts in recent times and that security measures remained in place to protect both the diplomatic site and the surrounding community.

The case highlights the continuing security challenges facing diplomatic buildings in London, while also raising questions about how individuals with extremist intentions can be identified before they attempt to carry out an attack.