The Prime Minister has pledged to guarantee security to the Jewish community in Britain, after a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester killed two and injured three more on the holiest day of the Jewish year. Keir Starmer cut short his visit to a summit in Copenhagen, to return to London and respond to the attack. Following a Cobra meeting, he said: “This was a vile terrorist attack that attacked Jews, because they are Jews. Antisemitism is a hatred that is rising, once again. Britain must defeat it, once again. To every Jewish person in this country: I promise that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security you deserve.”
The killer named by police as Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent, rammed a car into people outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, a suburb in north Manchester, at 9.30am yesterday morning. People were assembling at the synagogue to observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, a day of prayer, contemplation and forgiveness. The attacker then got out of the car and stabbed people with a knife, wearing what appears to be a suicide belt. Security guards stopped him at the entrance and Rabbi Daniel Walker has been praised for bravery for barricading the doors to prevent the attacker from entering the synagogue. Armed police were called and shot the attacker dead. Police say two people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
Manchester has the second highest Jewish population of any city in the UK, standing at 30,000. Local people interviewed afterwards said they were frightened, fearful for their families, scared, shocked and worried. The Manchester Evening News said it was an attack “on the very values and the soul of our city”. Its statement said: “To the community that has been attacked and is grieving on one of its most important days, the Manchester Evening News says this: We are with you. We see you. We are by your side.,, It wasn’t a case of ‘if’ this should happen, more a case of ‘when’. That alone should shame us. So, there is grief today. But there is also anger: deep, justifiable, and raw. To be attacked while in a place of peace, on the most sacred day of the year, is not just violence. It is desecration. A violation of something fundamental. In Manchester, we do not let our anger become hate. We turn it into resolve. Into action. Into unity.”
During Yom Kippur, people fast and switch off their phones until sunset. At the end of the day, the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, issued a statement saying his heart was shattered by the attack: “This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come. For so long we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere – this is the tragic result. This not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share.”
King Charles said in a statement that he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened” to hear about the attack, “especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this appalling incident and we greatly appreciate the swift actions of the emergency services”.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “At a time of rising antisemitism in the UK, this attack was sadly something we feared was coming. We call on all those in positions of power and influence to take the required action to combat hatred against Jewish people.”
The Community Security Trust, an organisation securing safety for Jewish people, said it was vital to follow security procedures, avoid congregating outside communal buildings, lock gates and doors and only allow access to known people. There were security guards at the Heaton Park synagogue and the CST says it is likely their swift actions, combined with volunteers, congregants and the police, prevented further casualties.
Faith leaders were quick to condemn and offer support.
Imam Qari Asim, co-chair of the British Muslim Network said he was horrified: “This act of violence is utterly abhorrent and has no place in our society. Places of worship must always be sanctuaries of peace and safety – not scenes of fear and hatred. We cannot ignore the growing tide of religious hatred in our country. Whether it is Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of bigotry, we must confront it together – with unity and courage, not silence. As a British Muslim leader let me be clear: antismeitism in all its forms is totally unacceptable”
The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester said it was shocked and horrified. “That this happened on our own doorstep has shaken us all to the core. There can never be any justification for a murderous attack of this kind. It is made even worse by the fact that the victims were at prayers on Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day in the year in Judaism. Our unwavering support and heartfelt sympathies go out to the Heaton Park Synagogue congregation, and their Rabbi Daniel Walker, with condolences and prayers for the victims and their families.”
The Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, said he was deeply shocked and saddened. In a statement on Twitter/ X, he said: “Such acts of violence have no place in our communities. Manchester is a city built on diversity, mutual respect, and unity. As we showed after the horrific terrorist attack of 2017, the way we defy those who seek to sow seeds of hatred in our community, is to draw closer to one another in love. Hate can never defeat hate, only love can conquer hate.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: I was very shocked to hear about the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue. To the Jewish community in Manchester and to all affected I send my deepest sympathy. On this most holy day for the Jewish people, Yom Kippur, we pray all may live alongside each other in harmony and respect”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said he was shocked to the core by the attack. In a statement he said: “The killing of two Jewish worshippers, the injuries inflicted on others, and the attempt to drive a car into a crowd in Manchester today are expressions of utter hatred that must not be tolerated in this land. That such an attack is directed at the Jewish community, and on Yom Kippur, this most solemn of days, shocks me to the core. Jewish and Christian people are closely bound together in our common faith in God. Indeed, in the Catholic tradition, Jewish people are held to be the ‘elder brothers’ in faith of our Christian family. My prayers, and those of the Catholic community, are heartfelt and profound: for those who have died, the bereaved, the injured, and those who will feel less safe tonight. It is a duty of us all to work together to ensure a more cohesive and respectful society, one in which such violence and inhumanity have no place.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said the British Jewish community was suffering from a horrific wave of antisemitism. In a statement on Twitter / X, he said he was appalled: “The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses. The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist.” He called for a change of course and effective action.
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: “Jews in Manchester, England, woke up this morning to pray, and were murdered in their own synagogue. More needs to be done to stamp out murderous ideologies. Governments the world over should spare us the statements about fighting antisemitism and instead ensure Jews are safe”.
