The city of Manchester, England, was plunged into shock and grief on Thursday after a horrific terror attack unfolded outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. An assailant, wielding a knife and driving a car, tragically killed two people and injured four others before being fatally shot by responding police officers.
Authorities were quick to label the incident an act of terrorism. Investigators confirmed that a vest worn by the attacker, initially feared to be an explosive device, was thankfully not viable. Two individuals have since been arrested in connection with the attack, though their identities and precise roles remain undisclosed.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene as the attacker deliberately drove into people outside the synagogue, a central hub for Manchester’s large Orthodox Jewish community. Chief Constable Stephen Watson of the Manchester police department recounted how the perpetrator then exited the vehicle, attacking people with a knife. Fortunately, security guards and other brave individuals prevented him from breaching the synagogue itself, where morning prayer services were already underway. Worshipers were initially instructed to shelter inside but have since been safely evacuated.
Videos from the scene showed a man on the ground after being shot by police. When he attempted to rise, another shot was fired, and he fell back to the ground. This brutal act has deeply unsettled the Jewish community in Manchester and prompted a swift increase in police protection at Jewish cultural and religious sites across Britain.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a national emergencies committee, condemning the attacker as “a vile individual who wanted to attack Jews because they are Jews.” He acknowledged the fear gripping the Jewish community, stating, “Britain will come together to wrap our arms around your community and show you that Britain is a place where you and your family are safe, secure and belong.” Other political leaders, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, echoed his sentiments, calling it a “vile and disgusting attack” and emphasizing the need for national reflection. Even King Charles III expressed his deep sorrow and shock.
Some members of the Jewish community in the immediate surroundings of the synagogue did not know what had happened, as they typically do not use phones or other devices on holy days. However, fear quickly spread through the neighborhood. Chen Bass, an Orthodox Jew and mother of two living in the area, remarked, “It’s this new feeling among the community that this place is no longer safe. We think we will see more and more of this.”
The incident highlights a troubling rise in antisemitism both in Britain and globally. The Community Security Trust, a charity monitoring antisemitic acts in Britain, reported 1,521 such cases between January and June of this year, including physical assaults and “extreme violence,” marking the second-highest rate ever recorded. This surge follows a peak in 2024 after the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, which have fueled protests and heightened tensions across Europe. Critics, including David Feldman of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, suggest current protective measures are insufficient and may inadvertently create a “hierarchy of racisms.”
Manchester itself is a vibrant, multicultural city, home to Britain’s largest Jewish community outside London, with approximately 30,000 residents. It also hosts an even larger Muslim population, a testament to centuries of immigration. While inter-community relations are generally strong, as noted by local lawmaker Graham Stringer, “there are always extreme people who want to damage those relationships.”
This is not Manchester’s first encounter with terror. In May 2017, a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, orchestrated by an Islamic State supporter, killed 22 people. Another stabbing attack near Manchester Arena in December 2018 was also declared terrorism. Since 2017, Britain has seen 19 violent attacks officially designated as terrorism, with various motivations. The quick and decisive response by Greater Manchester Police, who fatally shot the attacker within seven minutes of the initial call, prevented further tragedy.
The Israel Embassy in the U.K. expressed its condemnation and gratitude for the rapid police action, mourning that “such an act of violence should be perpetrated on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in a place of prayer and community, is abhorrent and deeply distressing.”