Manchester, UK — Police are currently questioning six individuals detained on suspicion of terror offenses after a deadly attack on a synagogue in northwest England that left two men dead and shocked Britain’s Jewish community.
The attacker, 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, was shot dead by police on Thursday outside the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester. Authorities say Al-Shamie rammed a car into pedestrians, assaulted them with a knife, and attempted to force his way into the synagogue.
Six suspects — three men and three women aged between 18 and their 60s — were arrested in the greater Manchester area on suspicion of “commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism,” as police investigate whether Al-Shamie acted alone.
Among the victims were congregation members Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, who died during the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Police revealed that Daulby was accidentally shot by an armed officer while he and other congregants barricaded the synagogue to prevent Al-Shamie from entering. Three other men remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
Detectives suspect that Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent living in Manchester, was influenced by “extreme Islamist ideology.” He wore what appeared to be an explosives belt, which was later confirmed to be fake.
Police also noted that Al-Shamie was out on bail for an alleged rape at the time of the attack but had not been charged.
The incident has deeply affected Britain’s Jewish community and intensified the debate surrounding the boundary between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
Recorded antisemitic incidents in the UK have surged sharply since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust, a charity dedicated to advising and protecting British Jews.
Some politicians and religious leaders have claimed that pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which have occurred regularly since the Gaza conflict began, have contributed to spreading hatred against Jews. While these protests have largely been peaceful, critics highlight chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as inciting anti-Jewish hatred.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters frequently accuse critics of Israel’s war conduct of antisemitism, a charge that critics say is meant to stifle legitimate criticism.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, head of Orthodox Judaism in Britain, condemned the attack as the result of “an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred” both on the streets and online.
Some observers argue that the UK’s recent recognition of a Palestinian state has emboldened antisemitism — a claim rejected by the government. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was met with boos and shouts of “Shame on you” as he spoke at a vigil for the attack victims in Manchester on Friday.
London police have urged organizers to cancel a protest planned for Saturday opposing the banning of the group Palestine Action, designated a terrorist organization by the government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on protest organizers to “recognize and respect the grief of British Jews this week” and to postpone the demonstration.
However, the group Defend Our Juries announced it would not cancel the protest, where hundreds of people are expected to participate despite the risk of arrest.
Member Jonathon Porritt told the BBC, “Protesters would demonstrate huge respect and real grief for those affected by the absolute atrocity at Heaton Park. But I don’t think that means that we should be asked to give up on our right to stand up for those who are being devastated by an ongoing, real-time genocide in Gaza.”