Manchester, England, has tragically joined a growing list of cities—including Boulder, Colorado, and Washington—that have experienced anti-Jewish violence. This latest attack has deeply shocked and saddened British Jews, who are grappling with the grim reality that antisemitism, a persistent threat, has escalated into something far more dangerous within their own country.
For almost two years, since the conflict began with Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians and the subsequent military response in Gaza, Britain, much like other nations in Europe and the United States, has seen a significant surge in antisemitic acts.
While British police have successfully foiled several terrorist plots targeting Jewish individuals and places of worship over the last decade, there had been no recent direct acts of violence specifically aimed at synagogues in the UK.
“We haven’t experienced an incident of this nature here here,” commented David Feldman, co-director of London’s Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. “This is, quite literally, unprecedented.”
Image: Police officers in Manchester quickly responded to the scene of the synagogue attack.
This attack is expected to further intensify the already heated debate in Britain surrounding the war in Gaza, a conflict that has fueled a global rise in antisemitism and a strong international backlash against Israel.
The report of a man ramming his vehicle and then stabbing worshippers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation was profoundly disturbing. It brought to mind similar tragic events, such as the June attack in Boulder targeting a rally for hostages, and the deadly shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington just two months prior.
Image: Journalists and police officers gathered near the Manchester synagogue in the aftermath of the attack.
On Thursday afternoon, Professor Feldman expressed caution about directly connecting the general increase in antisemitic incidents to this specific attack, which resulted in two fatalities and four injuries. The assailant was killed by police, and their identity and motives were unknown at the time. However, Feldman predicted that this event would have profound and unforeseen impacts on the Jewish community.
“This event undeniably alters the realm of what is considered possible,” Professor Feldman stated. “How the Jewish community will come to terms with this remains uncertain. What we can confidently say is that Jewish individuals will process this in diverse ways, given that the British Jewish population is currently more fractured than ever before.”
Immediately following the attack, a palpable sense of fear and grief enveloped synagogues and Jewish community centers nationwide. Police were deployed to guard these locations, with a noticeable presence at the entrance of JW3, a well-known Jewish center in North London, where officers were observed speaking with a rabbi.
The Community Security Trust, a British charity dedicated to monitoring antisemitism and coordinating security for Jewish institutions with government and police, issued strong warnings. They advised people to avoid congregating outside community buildings and urged synagogues to keep their doors securely closed at all times.
The Trust has repeatedly raised concerns about the surge in antisemitism, documenting 1,521 antisemitic incidents from January to June this year. These incidents encompassed physical assaults, property destruction, graffiti, online harassment, and three instances classified as “extreme violence.” This figure represents the second-highest number of anti-Jewish incidents the organization has ever recorded in the UK.
The peak, however, occurred in the first six months of 2024, with 2,019 reported cases. This surge followed the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths. Israel’s subsequent military actions in Gaza have tragically led to tens of thousands of casualties, many of whom were civilians.
Image: Britain’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, addressed the public in London following the attack.
Following an emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly acknowledged the current wave of antisemitism. “We must be unequivocally clear that this hatred is resurfacing, and Britain is committed to defeating it once more,” he declared.
Even prior to Thursday’s incident, several commentators noted that the intense atmosphere in Britain had already instilled a deep fear of everyday violence among many Jewish individuals.
Eric Pickles, a Conservative member of the House of Lords and former special envoy for post-Holocaust issues, shared his observations with Times Radio: “In recent years, I’ve seen Jewish friends express genuine concern for their personal safety, worrying about their children on the Underground and their elderly parents on public transport. I believe this reflects a society that has become increasingly volatile and corrupt.”
Similar to other European capitals, London has hosted large, predominantly peaceful weekly demonstrations against Israel’s military operations in Gaza, a conflict that has caused an escalating humanitarian crisis. Occasionally, smaller pro-Israel marches have also taken place.
However, the dynamics of protest have become increasingly strained. The British government recently designated Palestine Action, a prominent pro-Palestinian group, as a terrorist organization. This decision followed incidents where activists from the group breached a Royal Air Force base, defacing aircraft engines with red paint and causing damage to the planes using crowbars.
Last September, London police arrested over 800 demonstrators who had gathered in support of Palestine Action. While the majority were detained for carrying placards endorsing the group, a few faced charges for assaulting police officers.
Recently, Mr. Starmer announced Britain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, aligning with France, Canada, Australia, and Portugal. He explained that this move was driven by the unbearable humanitarian crisis in Gaza, emphasizing that “the starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable,” and expressed hope that it could aid in salvaging the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Image: During a September rally in London supporting Palestine Action, police officers were seen detaining a protester.
Britain has also taken action by blacklisting Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister—both far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet. Additionally, the UK has partially halted its weapons exports to Israel.
However, Mr. Starmer has faced pressure from within his own Labour Party to adopt even stronger measures against Israel. Some critics argue that his pledge to recognize a Palestinian state is conditional, unlike France’s approach, while others fault him for not implementing a complete ban on weapons sales. Notably, Britain still provides components for F-35 fighter jets, which the Israeli Air Force deploys in its operations in Gaza.
Within Parliament, passionate cries of “Genocide!” have resonated from the Labour backbenches. Despite this, the government has refrained from officially accusing the Israeli government of genocide in its handling of the Gaza conflict.
The distressing images depicting suffering in Gaza have also caused divisions within Britain’s Jewish community, as noted by Mr. Feldman. He cited recent surveys indicating a decline in the popularity of “the Zionist idea” among British Jews, especially among younger generations.
A recent report by the Runnymede Trust, a British think tank focused on social justice, suggested that the current methods for protecting Jews from hate crimes in Britain are ineffective. The report warned that these approaches might even worsen tensions by creating a perception among other communities that they do not receive the same level of protection.
In a direct address to British Jews, Mr. Starmer offered reassurance: “I pledge that in the days ahead, you will witness the true spirit of Britain—a nation of compassion, decency, and love. I promise that this Britain will unite to embrace your community, demonstrating unequivocally that this country is a safe, secure, and welcoming home for you and your family.”
The Prime Minister, whose wife is Jewish, clearly hopes his words will provide solace. However, as investigators delve into the assailant’s background and scrutinize their motives in the coming days, the Manchester attack is likely to further intensify the contentious debate surrounding the Middle East conflict and its far-reaching, angry repercussions across the globe.
Reporting contributed by Megan Specia and Lizzie Dearden.