Police said Thursday that the suspect in the deadly attack outside a synagogue in Manchester was believed to be Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
“We believe the person responsible for today’s attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie,” Greater Manchester Police said late Thursday. “He is a British citizen of Syrian descent.”
Al-Shamie was shot dead by armed officers after ramming a car into pedestrians and stabbing worshippers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Police said three other suspects — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s — were in custody “on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.”
Attack on Yom Kippur
The terror attack left two Jews dead and three others seriously wounded. Authorities initially feared Al-Shamie was wearing an explosive belt, and bomb disposal units were dispatched to the scene. Police confirmed the assault was terror-related.
Witnesses said the attacker deliberately targeted Jews. Kurram Rafiq, who was driving nearby, told the Daily Mail that he saw a car hit a man on the sidewalk. “At first I thought it was an accident. Then the driver got out and stabbed the man lying on the ground. It happened right outside the synagogue. He stabbed at least two more men. He stabbed anyone wearing a kippah.”
He described the assailant as “robotic” in his movements, showing no religious cries or slogans.
Chava Lewin, a local resident, said, “The moment he got out of the car, he started stabbing anyone nearby. He went for the guard and tried to break into the synagogue. Someone blocked the door. Everyone was in total shock.”
British media reported that Rabbi Daniel Walker, who has led the congregation since 2008, quickly locked the synagogue doors and prevented the attacker from entering. “He was incredibly calm,” Lewin said. “He’s a hero. It could have been much worse.”
Global condemnation
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack in the strongest terms. “Earlier today, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish community, a vile individual committed a terrorist attack that targeted Jews because they are Jews, and attacked Britain because of our values,” he said.
He added that the timing of the assault made it “all the more horrific,” and announced that additional police would be deployed to synagogues across the country. Starmer cut short a trip to Denmark and returned to Britain to chair an emergency meeting.
King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened.”
Israel’s embassy in London condemned the “appalling and deeply distressing” attack, saying it was in close contact with the Manchester Jewish community.
UK PM Starmer
(Video: Reuters)
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar issued a sharp statement blaming the British government for failing to act against what he called “blatant antisemitic and anti-Israel incitement.” He said the U.K. had “allowed this toxic wave of antisemitism to continue” and urged Starmer’s government to take action.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel mourned with British Jews. “Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. As I warned at the U.N.: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Britain was paying the price for “embracing and protecting terrorists.” He added, “Terror makes no distinction between Israelis and Britons. Today it struck Jews, tomorrow it will strike the entire Western world.”
President Isaac Herzog spoke with leaders of the Manchester Jewish community and revealed that earlier this week he had written to King Charles expressing concern about the rise of antisemitism across the U.K. and the Commonwealth. “Antisemitism is the world’s most reliable early warning sign of a major threat to freedom,” he quoted the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks as saying.
The attack evoked memories of Yom Kippur 2019, when two people were shot dead outside a synagogue in Halle, Germany, after an assailant posted an antisemitic manifesto online.