Manchester, UK:
A devastating car and stabbing attack outside a crowded synagogue in Manchester on Thursday resulted in the deaths of at least two people and left three others severely wounded. The suspect is believed to have been shot dead by UK police, who activated a national terrorism-response protocol following the incident.
The attack occurred in the Crumpsall neighbourhood at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue as the Jewish community marked Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The timing, just days before the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has inflamed tensions across Britain.
Greater Manchester Police declared a “major incident” shortly after 9:30 am (1:30pm PKT) after receiving calls about a vehicle driving into people outside the synagogue and reports of a security guard being attacked with a knife.
Police Action and Government Condemnation
The police force initially reported treating four people for injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds, while confirming firearms officers had shot one man “believed to be the offender.” Within hours, they announced that two people had died and that the suspected offender shot by officers was “also believed to be deceased.” Police noted that the suspect’s death could not be confirmed immediately due to “suspicious items on his person,” with a bomb disposal unit dispatched to the scene. Three people remain in a “serious condition.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer swiftly condemned the attack as “horrific” and announced security would be boosted at UK synagogues. He left a European summit early to chair an emergency security meeting in London.
“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” Starmer said, pledging to “do everything to keep our Jewish community safe.”
Israel’s embassy in the UK echoed the condemnation, calling it “abhorrent and deeply distressing” and asserting that “The safety and security of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom must be guaranteed.”
The Jewish Community in Manchester
A witness described the police response to BBC Radio, recounting officers shooting a man after a car crash: “They gave him a couple of warnings, he didn’t listen until they opened fire… He went down on the floor, and then he started getting back up, and then they shot him again.”
The city of Manchester, known globally for its industrial history and football clubs, is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the UK. According to the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, the community totalled over 28,000 people in 2021.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish charity, confirmed it was working with the police and local community, calling the incident “an appalling attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year.” The area around the synagogue is home to both large Jewish and Muslim communities, though local MP Graham Stringer noted that community relations are generally excellent between the different ethnic and religious groups.
