Terror attack in Manchester: Police fatally involved on Yom Kippur

Terror attack in Manchester: Police fatally involved on Yom Kippur

On October 3, 2025, a devastating terrorist attack took place outside a synagogue in Manchester, claiming two lives. The suspected perpetrator, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, was killed by police gunfire, but the gunshot wound to one of the fatalities may have been attributed to police. This tragic and unintended consequence of the police operation is currently under investigation as the city reels from the shock of the incident.

The attack occurred during the celebration of the highest Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, when many members of the Jewish community were gathered in the synagogue. A video of the incident shows that the attacker drove a car into a group of people and struck with a knife. In the synagogue, several people tried to hide behind a door to escape the attack. In addition to the two men killed, aged 53 and 66, four other people were injured, three of whom are in serious condition and are being treated in hospital.

Reaction from politics and the community

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III. expressed their horror at the attack. Starmer announced plans to increase police presence outside synagogues across the country to promote a sense of community safety. Rabbi Jonathan Romain expressed concern about the rise of political violence and religious hatred in society and stressed the need to take decisive action against such acts.

In recent years there have been repeated attacks on Jewish institutions, such as the attack on the synagogue in Halle, which also took place on Yom Kippur. The incident in Halle resulted in local police authorities and the Interior Ministry in Magdeburg being criticized for leaving the Jewish community unguarded on a high holiday. These repeated incidents make it clear that protecting Jewish synagogues and communities must be a top priority.

The security situation for Jewish institutions

The security situation for Jewish institutions has received increasing attention in recent years. Measures have been taken in various German federal states to improve protection. This includes special training for police forces to combat anti-Semitism and increasing police presence in front of Jewish communities. In public discourse, experts have called for law enforcement authorities to be more sensitive to anti-Semitic crimes and to provide the necessary resources for security measures.

Ronen Steinke, a lawyer and author, criticized the slow process for identifying security vulnerabilities and called for security measures to be fully funded by taxpayers' money. Some rabbis and other community representatives are calling for better evaluation of violent content on the Internet in order to identify and stop potential perpetrators at an early stage.

The tragic attack in Manchester not only shocked local Jewish life, but also sparked a broader discussion about the safety and security of religious communities in Europe. It is to be hoped that lessons will be learned from these painful experiences to prevent future acts of violence.