By Alex Morales and William Standring
Bloomberg News
MANCHESTER, England — At least two people were killed in a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, raising concerns about antisemitism and wider community tensions in the U.K.
Following the knife and vehicle attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short his attendance at a European summit in Denmark. He returned to Britain to host a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, known as Cobra.
On his way back from Copenhagen, Starmer said additional officers were being deployed to synagogues across the country. “We will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe,” he said.
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At least two of the victims died, while another three are in a “serious condition,” the Greater Manchester Police confirmed in a statement on the social media platform X. Counterterrorism police later confirmed the attacker had been shot dead by officers at the scene, and that two arrests have been made.
“Based on what we know, counterterrorism policing has declared this as a terrorist incident,” the head of counterterror police, Laurence Taylor, said in a televised statement. He said that while his force believe it knows the identity of the attacker, “for safety reasons at the scene we are unable to confirm at this stage.”
Police earlier said at least four members of the public were being treated by paramedics for stab wounds and injuries inflicted by a vehicle. Officers were called to the incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall area of Manchester just after 9:30 a.m. by a member of the public who said “he had witnessed a car being driven towards members of the public,” according to police.
Taylor also confirmed the attacker was dead, after Manchester police earlier said that while they believed he had died, they could not confirm so “due to safety issues surround suspicious items on his person.” A bomb disposal unit was called to the scene, and the sound of controlled explosions could later be heard on footage aired by broadcasters.
Police said that a “large number” of people were worshiping at the synagogue at the time of the attack, adding that they had been held inside the building while the area was made safe, before being evacuated.
King Charles III issued a statement saying he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the attack, and condemnation of the incident came from across the U.K.’s political spectrum. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party, called it “vile and disgusting,” while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was “horrified.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he was “horrified and appalled.”
No details were immediately disclosed about the suspected offender, or his possible motives. Nevertheless, Britain’s Jewish community has been on alert for the past two years after a rise in incidents of antisemitism following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli response in Gaza.
The Jewish community “have seen rising incidents of antisemitism over recent times and have been living with a higher state of anxiety because of the times that we’re living in,” Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told BBC Radio.
The Community Security Trust, a charity set up to protect British Jews, reported a surge in antisemitic incidents after the conflict in Gaza flared up, and while numbers are lower this year than last, they remain at a higher level than before the Hamas attack.
Amid a rising death toll in Gaza, pro-Palestinian protesters have held regular demonstrations in London and other major U.K. cities, including in Liverpool this week during the governing Labour Party’s annual conference. The main opposition Conservative Party is due to hold its convention in Manchester this weekend.
Israel’s escalation of military operations in Gaza has resulted in increasing tensions within Starmer’s administration which, while saying Israel has a right to self-defense, has increasingly questioned the proportionality of the Israeli response. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 60,000 Palestinians have lost their lives during the Israeli campaign.
Last year, the U.K. suspended some export licenses to Israel and in June, Britain sanctioned two Israeli government ministers who they said had incited violence against Palestinian communities. Last month, Starmer said the U.K. would recognize Palestinian statehood, after Israel’s government failed to heed his calls to de-escalate in Gaza.
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