Manchester attack was just a matter of time, say Jewish leaders

British Jewish leaders have said that the Manchester attack was only a matter of time as antisemitism has been on the rise lately.

A man on Thursday rammed a car on the grounds of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in England’s Manchester and went on a stabbing spree. He killed two Jewish men and injured four others in the attack that ended seven minutes later when police shot him dead.

The attack occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calander.

After the attack, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, said that the attack was “the tragic result” hatred against Jews that was only a matter of time. He said it was “the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come”.

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“For so long we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere — this is the tragic result. This not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share,” said Mirvis in a post on X.

After the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel, and the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, antisemitism has been on the rise throughout West. In the UK, the Community Safety Trust (CST) recorded 3,528 antisemitic incidents in 2024 and 4,296 incidents in 2023 — the highest numbers since it began tracking.

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Our hearts are shattered.

Emerging from the holy fast of Yom Kippur, British Jews are now grasping the full extent of today’s terror attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.

This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come.

For…

— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) October 2, 2025

After the Manchester, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to do “everything” in his power to protect Jews as he said the UK must defeat antisemitic hate. He condemned the “vile individual” who carried out the “horrific” attack.

‘We feared it was coming’

In a separate statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said the attack “was sadly something we feared was coming” at a time of rising antisemitism in the UK, according to Sky News.

The Board said, “We are devastated at the loss of two members of our Jewish community, and our thoughts are with their families, those who are injured and receiving treatment, and all those who have been affected by this act of antisemitic terror,” the Board said.

The Board urged all those in power and influence to take the required action to tackle rising antisemitism.

Pinchas Goldschmidt, the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, called for more to be done to “stamp out murderous ideologies”.

“Jews in Manchester, England, woke up this morning to pray, and were murdered in their own synagogue. Governments from the world over should spare us the statements about fighting antisemitism and instead ensure Jews are safe,” said Goldschmidt.