Manchester synagogue attack: Fears about antisemitism rise in U.K

The terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur, has stoked fears among Britain's Jewish community amid a rise in antisemitism.

MANCHESTER, England — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was shocked by Thursday’s terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Hebrew calendar.

But for many British Jews, this was anything but a shock, rather the culmination of a wave of antisemitism in Britain that was rising before Hamas’ terrorist attack Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza — and has only intensified since.

There has been a rise in anti-Jewish hostility in Britain that predates the attack in Israel and the Gaza war that started three years ago, according to community groups and the people suffering the first-hand effects in the United Kingdom. But the incident at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall has brought the issue of antisemitism to the fore again — leaving many Jewish people in Britain worried for the safety of their friends and family.

“I just keep thinking about my children,” said Josh Simons, a member of Parliament who represents the Makerfield constituency near Manchester, and whose family fled persecution in Europe for the relative safety of England around a century ago. “I’ve got two young kids and I think everybody in this community will be holding their children tonight that little bit closer.”

He told NBC News on Thursday that the community was feeling “frightened, scared and hurt.”