An unimaginable tragedy unfolded outside a synagogue in Manchester, northwestern England, when a vehicle ramming and stabbing attack on Thursday morning claimed two lives and left three others seriously injured. The incident, occurring on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, has since been officially declared an act of terrorism by Britain’s counterterrorism police.
Authorities confirmed that the assailant, who was believed to be wearing a vest appearing to contain an explosive device, was fatally shot by officers within seven minutes of the initial police report. Two other individuals have also been arrested in connection with the assault. While police believe they know the attacker’s identity, formal confirmation is pending. Eyewitness Martin Hamer described seeing the suspect attempting to enter the synagogue through a window moments before police arrived and opened fire. Thankfully, the attacker was prevented from gaining access to the synagogue itself thanks to the quick thinking of a witness who alerted the authorities.
The head of U.K. counterterrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, emphasized that “U.K. policing is mobilizing, and it’s mobilizing fast.” Patrols have been significantly increased at synagogues and Jewish sites nationwide to reassure affected communities. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who cut short a conference in Copenhagen to chair a national emergency committee meeting (COBRA), expressed his horror, particularly given the attack’s timing on Yom Kippur. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also confirmed stepped-up policing around synagogues in London. Israel’s Embassy in the U.K. condemned the attack as “abhorrent and deeply distressing.”
This attack tragically occurs amidst a worrying global and national surge in antisemitism. The Community Security Trust, a British charity monitoring anti-Jewish acts, recorded 1,521 such incidents between January and June this year – the second-highest rate ever. This rise is attributed to ongoing tensions surrounding the two-year-old conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and the resulting humanitarian crisis. A recent report by the Runnymede Trust highlights that current protection methods for Jewish communities may inadvertently create a “hierarchy of racisms” perception and suggests a failure to adequately address antisemitism.
Manchester has unfortunately experienced terrorism before, including one of Britain’s deadliest attacks in May 2017. A suicide bomber, a supporter of Islamic State, killed 22 people and injured hundreds at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Another terror attack involving a stabbing occurred near Manchester Arena on New Year’s Eve 2018. Since 2017, a total of 19 violent attacks in Britain have been classified as terrorism.