British police named the suspect in a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack and vowed to “defeat” antisemitism in his country.
The stabbing and car-ramming attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue killed two people and seriously injured four, while the attacker was shot dead by police on the scene. The attacker was named as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
Starmer and his Jewish wife, Victoria, visited a London synagogue after the attack. In a short address on Thursday, Starmer condemned antisemitism and pledged a fiercer fight against it, including by increasing police protection at synagogues.
“Earlier today, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish community, a vile individual committed a terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews, and attacked Britain because of our values,” Starmer said.
He added, “While this is not a new hate, this is something Jews have always lived with. We must be clear: It is a hatred that is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again.”
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
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
Later Thursday, authorities reportedly allowed an anti-Israel protest to go ahead in the same city of Manchester, with footage showing hundreds of far-left activists walking through the streets, chanting slogans against the Jewish state and in solidarity with the Gaza aid flotilla after it was intercepted by the navy before reaching the Strip earlier that day.
Manchester Emergency Pro Palestine Flotilla protest, comes to a end at St Peters Square after marching from Piccadilly Train Station – England pic.twitter.com/ShDdJ9Zre9
— Tke Media (@TkeMedia) October 2, 2025
In the attack, al-Shamie is suspected of ramming his car into a crowd of people outside the synagogue and then embarking on a stabbing spree. He appeared to be wearing an explosive device but police later said it was “not viable.”
An initial check of records showed he was not part of a UK counter-terror program that tries to identify people at risk for being radicalized. The police added that three suspects — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s — are currently in custody and “have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.”
A worshipper at the synagogue recounted being inside for Yom Kippur services when the attack occurred, noting that the synagogue had already taken security precautions.
“We’d already made sure that the doors and windows were shut,” Rob Kanter told the Guardian, adding that after they heard gunshots, police entered the synagogue to escort the congregation to safety.
According to Kanter, his first reaction upon hearing the shots was “How are we going to keep ourselves and everyone else safe?” Despite initially feeling “bewildered” as they heard the attack outside, he said the atmosphere inside the synagogue was “actually relatively calm.”
“I would say the mood amongst our fellow congregants was very calm, and everyone deals with these things in their own way,” Kanter added. “Some people get through this in a very quiet way, others like to talk, some people even try and use an element of humor just to keep themselves going.”
???????? PICTURED: Keir Starmer attends a north London synagogue with his wife, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper pic.twitter.com/ChSSzEelmb
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 2, 2025
He also said the rabbi tried to continue the service after worshippers were led away from the synagogue by police, “because at the end of the day, because it’s awkward, and it’s difficult, people have got a multitude of emotions going on, but we carried on, and did not [perform] the whole service, but we did what we could in the circumstances.”
Israeli leaders also condemned the attack, while taking implicit and explicit swipes at the UK government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement referenced his recent speech at the United Nations, where he castigated a string of countries, including the UK, that have recognized a Palestinian state.
“Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded,” he posted on X. “As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel “expects more than words from the Starmer government.”
“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,” Sa’ar wrote in a post 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.”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, considered a chief rival to Netanyahu in elections slated for next year, also took aim at Starmer’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
“When antisemitism is surging to levels not seen since the Holocaust, for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer it was instead urgent to recognize ‘a Palestinian state’ instead of focusing on his basic duty to defend Jewish citizens of Britain,” Bennett said in a statement.
Members of the Jewish community comfort each other near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Oct. 2, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Also on Thursday, the Manchester Council of Mosques released a statement mourning the shooting. It also called on people to “avoid speculation.”
“The Manchester Council of Mosques is shocked and saddened to hear of today’s stabbing outside a synagogue in Manchester,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the Jewish community at this distressing time.”
It added, “Manchester has always been a city where people of all faiths and backgrounds live side by side. Any attempt to divide us through violence or hatred will fail — we remain united in our commitment to peace and mutual respect.”
Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot also condemned the “heinous” attack, tweeting, “No one should ever feel unsafe in their home or at their place of worship.”
“My deepest condolences go to the victims and families of today’s heinous attack in Manchester,” Zomlot wrote.
“Violence against civilians must be condemned without hesitation or exception. We stand firm in upholding the rule of law everywhere, rejecting dehumanization, and affirming the equal humanity of all,” the Palestinian envoy adds.
