The Campaign Against Antisemitism sharply attacked the English Football Association after no minute of silence was held and no tribute was made to the victims of the synagogue attack in Manchester during Thursday's friendly between England and Wales at Wembley.
The attack took place a week ago at the synagogue in the Crumpsall neighborhood of Manchester. Jihad al-Shami, from a family of Syrian origin who came to Britain as a small child and received British citizenship in 2006, carried out the attack during Yom Kippur, ramming and stabbing his victims while carrying two knives. Two Jewish worshippers were killed in the attack — Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Kravitz, 66 — and five more people were injured; three of the wounded remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
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Wembly Stadium before Thursday's friendly between England and Wales
(Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The Campaign is furious and says that while the city’s football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, held a minute’s silence for the victims at the end of last weekend and the players wore black armbands reading “United City,” the English association chose not to hold a similar tribute at the national team match.
“It seems that dead Jews do not count. Ignoring this tragedy, especially after tributes were held in other instances, is scandalous,” the group said. “Last week we saw a terrorist attack on our soil in which two people were murdered simply for being Jewish. Football has a long history of fighting racism and extremism — and the lack of an official tribute is a stain.”
The group added that a national tribute could have sent a clear message of solidarity: “A minute’s silence would have made clear that Jewish lives are as important as those of any other community, and that British society is united against hatred and violence. The absence of such a gesture sends no less clear a message — and it is a terrible message.”
The English Football Association has not yet responded.
Despite the 3–0 win over Wales Thursday in the friendly, England coach Thomas Tuchel expressed frustration at the subdued atmosphere in Wembley Stadium. “The stadium was quiet. Quiet. We didn’t get any energy from the stands,” the German said in an interview after the match.
England stormed out of the blocks with three goals in 20 minutes from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka, but the pace calmed in the second half and the English crowd was quieter than the Welsh supporters.
“I think the players gave enough to get much more from the crowd,” Tuchel added. “I expected more. Three goals in 20 minutes, an incredible attacking game — and yet we heard only the Wales fans for half an hour. It’s sad, because this team deserves huge support.”
At the post-match press conference, Tuchel continued his critical line: “I love English football and English fans, but the atmosphere did not match what we showed on the pitch.”