Israel has accused Keir Starmer’s government of failing to curb a “toxic wave of anti-Semitism” in Britain after a terror attack on a Manchester synagogue left two worshippers dead on Yom Kippur.
The suspect, named as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a citizen of Syrian descent, rammed his car into congregants outside Heaton Park Synagogue before launching a knife attack.
Wearing a fake suicide vest, Al-Shamie was shot dead by armed officers within seven minutes of the first 999 calls.
Two men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, both from Crumpsall, were killed. Four others were injured, including security staff who tried to block the attacker from entering the building where hundreds had gathered for prayers.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed Al-Shamie had not previously been referred to the Prevent anti-radicalisation programme. Officers arrested three others in connection with the attack, including two men detained near the synagogue and a woman in her 60s on suspicion of terrorism offences.
Israel points finger at Starmer
The atrocity, which bore the hallmarks of an Islamic State-inspired attack, prompted furious condemnation from Israel. Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign affairs minister, said Britain had “failed to take the necessary action” against anti-Jewish hatred.
Posting on X, he declared:
“The truth must be told: blatant and rampant anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses.
The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of anti-Semitism and have effectively allowed it to persist.
We expect more than words from the Starmer Government. We expect and demand a change of course, effective action, and enforcement against the rampant anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain.”
The comments come only days after Keir Starmer announced the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, a move that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded a display of “weakness in the face of terrorism.”
Mr Netanyahu warned:
“You can’t appease your way out of jihad, and you won’t escape the Islamist storm by sacrificing Israel.”
A shaken Jewish community
The attack caused deep fear within Britain’s Jewish community. Synagogues across Manchester cancelled Yom Kippur services as police increased security patrols nationwide.
Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, praised the swift actions of officers and security guards, confirming:
“We can confirm that two members of our Jewish community have sadly died as a result of this attack. Armed officers intercepted the offender and he was fatally shot by officers within seven minutes of the original call.”
Rabbi Daniel Walker, seen leaving the synagogue with blood on his robe, embodied the trauma of a community under siege.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called it “the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come.”
The King and Queen issued a statement expressing that they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the killings, praising the “swift actions” of the emergency services.
Starmer under pressure
Keir Starmer flew back from Denmark to chair a Cobra meeting, later promising Britain’s Jews:
“I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve, starting with a more visible police presence.”
Yet critics argue Starmer’s promises ring hollow given his recent recognition of Palestinian statehood and his perceived softness towards pro-Palestinian protests, which continued in Manchester, Leeds, and Westminster even on the day of the synagogue attack.
The Labour Government has also faced accusations of double standards in its handling of protests. At a recent Unite the Kingdom rally, police made 26 arrests, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood denouncing attendees as “heirs to skinheads, P**i-bashers of old, racists.” Yet when 40 arrests were made at a pro-Palestine protest last night, during which inflammatory slogans were chanted, Mahmood dismissed the demonstration merely as “insensitive.” Critics said the contrast revealed a “two-tier” approach by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, exposing what they described as a dreadful inconsistency in the Government’s treatment of public disorder.
For many in Israel and among Britain’s Jewish community, Starmer’s words of solidarity appear undermined by actions that they say embolden extremists. As Netanyahu bluntly put it: “Only strength and unity can defeat [terrorism].”
