Attacker who killed 2 people and injured 3 at British synagogue is dead, police say

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the “vile” assailant who “attacked Jews because they are Jews” on the holiest day of the year at a Manchester synagogue.

Starmer said after chairing an emergency security meeting that the nation must defeat rising antisemitism as he promised to increase security in Jewish communities.

“I promise you that over the coming days, you will see the other Britain, the Britain of compassion, of decency, of love,” Starmer said. “I promise you that this 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.”

Gideon Saar also accused authorities in Britain of failing to take action to curb antisemitism.

“The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses,” he posted on X.

“The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist,” he said, adding: “We expect more than words from the Starmer government. We expect and demand a change of course.”

António Guterres said that the attack happening on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar is “particularly heinous.”

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the alarming rise of antisemitism worldwide and stresses the urgent need to confront hatred and intolerance in all their forms,” Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres’ spokesperson, said in a statement.

The EU’s top diplomat deplored the “utterly appalling” attack against “innocent worshippers” in Manchester.

“Hate, antisemitism and violence have no place in our society,” Kaja Kallas posted on social media.

Manchester United said: “The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United are with the victims of today’s tragic events in north Manchester and we offer our support to all those affected. #ACityUnited.”

And Manchester City said: “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic events which took place in Manchester this morning, and we are sending our support and condolences to all those affected during this difficult time.”

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson has confirmed that the two people who died in the attack at a synagogue in the city were “members of the Jewish community.”

Watson said in a televised statement that police believe they know the identity of the offender, who was shot dead by police, but that it would be “premature” to release his name.

He confirmed that the suspect drove a car directly at members of public outside the synagogue, and was then seen to attack people with a knife. He was wearing a vest, which Watson said had the appearance of an explosive device.

He also confirmed that two people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and said that the bravery of security personnel at the synagogue and those inside helped prevent the attacker from getting inside the building.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived at No.10 Downing Street to chair an emergency meeting following the attack at a synagogue in Manchester.

Starmer, who returned to the U.K. early from a meeting of European leaders in Denmark, did not answer any questions from reporters.

Counter-terrorism police say two people have been arrested over the attack at a synagogue in Manchester that killed two and seriously injured three others.

The Metropolitan Police’s head of counter-terrorism policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the attack has been declared a “terrorist incident.”

He did not provide details about the arrests.

Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, have said in a personal message posted on social media: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the families of the terrible attack at Heaton Park Synagogue.”

“The fact that this tragedy occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more shocking,” they said. “We are thinking of the entire community as well as the emergency responders who attended this terrible incident.”

The message was signed “W & C.”

The British Muslim Trust condemned the attack on the Jewish community in Manchester, calling it “sickening” and “disgraceful.”

The trust, a government-funded organization that monitors anti-Muslim hate incidents, said no one should be allowed to “exploit this violence to deepen the division they seek.’’

“The attack in Manchester this morning is shocking and utterly abhorrent, and to commit these acts on Yom Kippur is sickening,” the trust’s chief executive, Akeela Ahmed, said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and our thoughts and best wishes go to all those affected.”

The trust stands with the Jewish community and the people of Manchester, Ahmed added.

“We can confirm three people have died, including the offender, who was shot by GMP Firearms officers,” Greater Manchester Police said in an update.

Police had said earlier Thursday that they believed the suspect was dead but they couldn’t immediately confirm it because of concerns he had an explosive on him.

The editor of the U.K.'s Jewish News has described the attack in Manchester as the day Jews in Britain have long feared.

Richard Ferrer said antisemitic tensions have been building since Oct.7, 2023, when the Hamas-led attack on Israel triggered war in the Middle East. Israeli’s subsequent assault on Gaza led to massive protest marches in London, with many Jews feeling threatened because of anti-Semitic chants and slogans.

“After October the 7th, the atmosphere in the street has become febrile,’’ Ferrer told The Associated Press. “Certain politicians and community leaders have offered a wink and a nod at conspiracy theories, at revisionism, at all sorts of excuses made for chants against Jews. And the temperature has risen to the point where clearly we’ve reach breaking point.’’

Ferrer, whose paper describes itself as the U.K.’s most widely read Jewish newspaper, said until now British Jews have largely been insulated from the kind of attacks that have hit other Western nations. But Thursday’s attack has forced Jews to re-assess their place in British society.

“I think the Jewish community, it can’t be left to secure itself,’’ he said. “The government, the Home Office, the home secretary, now need to take firm action.’’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the attack and additional police officers would be deployed at synagogues across the U.K. He flew home early from a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark, to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. is widely considered the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar. It is being observed this year from around sunset on Wednesday, Oct. 1, until after nightfall on Thursday, Oct. 2. It is typically spent in prayer and repentance.

It marks the conclusion of the Jewish High Holy days, which began with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which began at sundown on Sept. 22, and ended after nightfall on Sept. 24.

In recent years many synagogues around the world have added extra layers of security, particularly on the High Holy Days.

Rabbi Jonathan Romain, of Maidenhead Synagogue and head of the Rabbinic Court of Great Britain, said the attack at the Manchester synagogue would raise fears among Jews that political violence could turn to religious hatred.

“This is every Rabbi’s or every Jewish person’s worst nightmare,” he said.

“Not only is this a sacred day, the most sacred in the Jewish calendar, but it’s also a time of mass gathering, and the time when the Jewish community, however religious or irreligious, gathers together,” he added.

In a statement, the Israeli embassy said it was in close contact with the Jewish community in Manchester and British authorities to monitor developments.

“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,” it said.

“We thank the Greater Manchester Police for their swift response. The safety and security of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom must be guaranteed,” it added.

Antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have soared following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust, an advocacy group for British Jews that works against antisemitism.

More than 1,500 incidents were reported in the first half of the year, the second-highest reported since a record set a year earlier.

Chava Lewin, who lives next to the synagogue, said she heard a bang and thought it might be a firework until her husband ran inside and said there had been a “terrorist attack.”

A witness told her that she saw a car being driven erratically crash into the gates of the house of worship.

“She thought maybe (the driver) had a heart attack,” Lewin said. “The second he got out of the car he started stabbing anyone near him. He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue.”

King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened″ to learn of the attack “on such a significant day for the Jewish community.″

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this appalling incident and we greatly appreciate the swift actions of the emergency services,’′ the monarch said on his social media feed.