UAE denounces Manchester synagogue atrocity

Two worshippers were killed and several others wounded after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd and carried out stabbing attacks outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in the Crumpsall area of Manchester during Yom Kippur. The attacker was shot dead by police within seven minutes of their arrival, and security forces later identified suspicious items on his person, though they concluded no viable explosive device was present. British authorities have launched a terrorism investigation and arrested three additional suspects.

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry condemned the assault in a formal statement, describing it as a “terrorist attack targeting innocent civilians” and reaffirming the country’s rejection of violence in all forms. Deep condolences were extended to victims, their families, and the British people, and wishes were expressed for a speedy recovery of the injured.

Police arrived on the scene at 9:31 am local time after a member of the public alerted them to the unfolding attack. Witnesses reported a man exiting a car and stabbing at least one person before attempting to breach synagogue security. Congregants and security staff are credited with locking doors, barricading entry, and allowing internal evacuation before police intervention. The suspected attacker had driven recklessly into pedestrians before launching the knife assault. Officials later confirmed two Jewish worshippers died and three reached hospital in critical condition. A fourth individual had also sustained lesser injuries.

Greater Manchester Police declared the scene a major incident from the outset. Metropolitan Police counterterror units have taken lead on the probe, with Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor confirming that three people — a woman in her 60s and two men in their 30s — were arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences. The attacker has been identified as a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent named Jihad Al-Shamie, and officials say he was not flagged by domestic radicalisation monitoring programmes.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short an overseas meeting to return to London and chaired an emergency COBRA security briefing. He denounced the assault as a hate-fuelled act, stating that the attacker struck “because they are Jews.” Starmer pledged deployment of extra police resources to synagogues nationwide. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood echoed the government’s resolve to protect the Jewish community and promised further measures to prevent such violence. Local leaders, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, praised the rapid response of emergency services and urged community resilience against efforts to foment division.

Israel swiftly condemned the massacre, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a “barbaric terror act” and asserting that “weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism.” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Britain of failing to curb rising antisemitic sentiment, insisting that incitement had grown to “blatant and rampant” levels across the U. K. and calling for urgent government action against hate speech targeting Jews and Israel.

Members of the British royal family expressed profound sorrow. King Charles III and Queen Camilla issued a joint message describing the attack as “horrific” and acknowledged the significance of the timing, given the day of worship. They also expressed gratitude for the efforts of first responders.

Community organisations and civil society groups in the U. K. responded with shock and solidarity. Oxfam’s senior leadership declared that antisemitism and hatred have “no place in our society,” warning that unchecked division and scapegoating deepen wider inequalities. Residents in Crumpsall told reporters the neighbourhood has historically embodied mutual trust among diverse populations, with many saying such violence was unimaginable there.