In a shocking act of violence that has stunned the United Kingdom and reverberated across the global Jewish community, two worshippers were killed and three others seriously injured in a brazen car-ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in north Manchester on Thursday. The assault unfolded during Yom Kippur services—the holiest day in the Jewish calendar—prompting immediate declarations of a terrorist incident and a nationwide surge in security measures for Jewish sites.
This was a vile terrorist attack that attacked Jews, because they are Jews.
Antisemitism is a hatred that is rising, once again. Britain must defeat it, once again.
To every Jewish person in this country: I promise that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the… pic.twitter.com/DAd9OaGNMc
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 2, 2025
The attack occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall, a quiet Jewish enclave in Greater Manchester. Eyewitnesses described a scene of unimaginable horror as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, accelerated a silver sedan into a group of pedestrians gathered for morning prayers. The vehicle struck multiple people before Al-Shamie exited and began stabbing victims indiscriminately, including a synagogue security guard. Chaos erupted as screams pierced the autumn air, with families in prayer attire scattering in terror.
Armed officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) arrived within minutes, activating “Operation Plato”—the protocol for marauding terrorist attacks. Bodycam footage, later released in snippets, shows officers shouting commands and firing at Al-Shamie after he ignored orders to drop his weapon and raised what appeared to be an explosive vest. The suspect was fatally shot at the scene; post-incident checks confirmed the vest was a fake, containing no viable explosives. “This was a targeted attack on Jews because they are Jews,” GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson stated gravely during a press briefing, his voice heavy with the weight of the moment. “Our officers’ swift action undoubtedly saved lives.”
Formal identification of Al-Shamie is pending, but police confirmed he immigrated to the UK from Syria as a young child in the early 1990s and was granted British citizenship in 2006. Neighbors in his modest Salford flat described him as a reclusive English and computer programming tutor, with no prior criminal record or known ties to extremism. “He kept to himself, polite but distant,” said one anonymous resident. Counter-terrorism officials revealed Al-Shamie had never appeared on watchlists or Prevent referrals—the UK’s deradicalization program—leaving investigators scrambling to uncover his motives. Digital forensics teams are poring over his devices, social media, and a possible online manifesto that surfaced hours after the attack, railing against “Zionist oppression” and invoking the October 7, 2023, Hamas assaults on Israel.
The victims—two Jewish men in their 50s and 60s, whose names are being withheld pending family notifications—were beloved fixtures in Manchester’s tight-knit Jewish community of over 40,000. One was a retired schoolteacher; the other, a volunteer at the synagogue. The three injured, including the stabbed guard, underwent emergency surgery at Manchester Royal Infirmary and remain in serious but stable condition. “These were fathers, husbands, pillars of our shul,” Rabbi Daniel Walker, the congregation’s spiritual leader, told reporters through tears, his tallit (prayer shawl) still draped over his shoulders. “On Yom Kippur, we seek atonement and peace. This evil sought only blood.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose wife Victoria is Jewish, cut short a European summit in Copenhagen to address the nation from Downing Street. “This vile assault strikes at the heart of our democracy and our values,” he declared, his face etched with fury. “Antisemitism has no place in Britain—full stop. I’ve ordered 1,000 additional officers to protect Jewish communities nationwide, from synagogues to schools.” Starmer’s words echoed a broader outpouring of condemnation. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called it “a stain on our soul,” while Reform UK head Nigel Farage decried “years of ignored warnings.” Even Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot labeled the attack “unacceptable barbarism.”
Internationally, the response was swift and searing. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar lambasted the UK for “fostering an environment of unchecked hate,” citing repeated ignored pleas for tougher antisemitism laws. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added, “Weakness invites terror—Britain must harden its resolve.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed “deep alarm” at the global spike in Jew-hatred, urging member states to act. In the US, President Joe Biden’s administration pledged FBI support for the probe, with Jewish organizations like the ADL amplifying calls for vigilance.
This tragedy unfolds against a grim backdrop of escalating antisemitism in the UK, fueled by the Israel-Gaza war. The Community Security Trust (CST) reported over 1,500 incidents in the first half of 2025 alone—the second-highest half-year tally ever—ranging from vandalism to assaults, often linked to pro-Palestine protests. Since October 2023, attacks have quadrupled, leaving 35% of British Jews feeling unsafe, per recent surveys. Manchester, with its multicultural mosaic of Jewish and Muslim populations, has seen tensions simmer, though community leaders insist most residents reject violence.
As forensic teams comb the cordoned scene—now a somber memorial of flowers and yahrzeit candles—three additional suspects (two men in their 30s and a 60-year-old woman) remain in custody on terrorism preparation charges. Counter Terrorism Policing North West has assumed the lead, vowing a “relentless” investigation. Shomrim, the volunteer Jewish patrol, has ramped up street watches, urging vigilance without panic.
For Manchester’s Jews, Yom Kippur prayers ended not in kol nidre reflection but in collective mourning. “We will not cower,” vowed Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis in a video message. “This darkness tests us, but our light endures.” As the sun sets on this bloodied holy day, the UK grapples with a painful truth: In an era of division, hate’s blade cuts deepest when aimed at the innocent. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact GMP’s hotline. The nation holds its breath, praying for healing in a fractured world.