Manchester synagogue assault victims named
The 2 males killed in Thursday’s assault on a synagogue in Manchester have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have mentioned.
Better Manchester police mentioned formal identification is but to happen however their households have been knowledgeable and household liaison officers are in touch.
The boys had been killed when an attacker used a automotive to ram into the grounds of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, then stabbed worshippers in a six-minute rampage that solely ended when armed officers shot at him twice.
Three others had been critically injured within the assault on Yom Kippur, the holiest day within the Jewish calendar.
Police named the attacker on Thursday night time as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent. Better Manchester police revealed that three different folks – two males of their 30s and a girl in her 60s – had been arrested “on suspicion of fee, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism”.
Postmortem examinations of the victims – each of whom are from Crumpsall – will happen in a while Friday.
We’ll convey you the most recent developments on this story as we get them.
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We’ve received a bit extra from the chief rabbi, who mentioned so many individuals within the Jewish neighborhood “and properly past it” marvel why marches in assist of Palestine Motion are allowed to happen.
He informed BBC Radio 4’s At the moment programme:
A few of them comprise outright antisemitism, outright assist for Hamas. Not each single particular person, nevertheless there may be a lot of this, which actually is harmful to many inside our society.
You can not separate the phrases on our streets, the actions of individuals on this manner, and what inevitably outcomes, which was yesterday’s terrorist assault.
The 2 are straight linked and due to this fact we name on the federal government but once more, we’ve been doing so repeatedly, and but once more we are saying get a grip on these demonstrations, they’re harmful.
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Chief rabbi criticises ‘unrelenting wave of hatred in opposition to Jews’
Chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis mentioned it is a “very darkish time” forward of visiting Manchester, as he referred to an “unrelenting wave of hatred in opposition to Jews”.
Talking to BBC Radio 4’s At the moment programme, he mentioned:
Proper now, our hearts are shattered. What transpired yesterday was an terrible blow to us, one thing which really we had been fearing would possibly occur due to the construct as much as this motion.
I’m going to be arriving in Manchester early this morning, along with my spouse, so as to be with a grieving neighborhood, and it is a very darkish time, not only for Jews of Britain however for all of our society as a result of this wasn’t merely an assault in opposition to Jews, it was an assault in opposition to the values of our society.
The chief rabbi added:
We now have witnessed an unrelenting wave of hatred in opposition to Jews being expressed on our streets, on campuses, proper throughout social media and a few of the media.
And along with that, when there may be the unjustified demonisation of Israel, that feeds straight into an anti-Jewish sentiment throughout the tone of Britain, and that then encourages extremism.
Our authorities must be aware of that.
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As my colleague Chris Osuh has reported, emotions of security within the UK’s Jewish neighborhood have declined sharply within the final couple of years, in response to the biggest survey of British Jews since 7 October 2023.
Talking to LBC, the house secretary says antisemitism has been “rising” within the UK.
Requested about feedback made by Israel overseas minister Gideon Sa’ar that the UK authorities is failing to curb “rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain”, she mentioned:
Myself and the prime minister each acknowledge that antisemitism in our nation has been rising.
It’s utterly unacceptable, and we each condemn it completely. We won’t stand for it.
We now have sturdy legal guidelines in our nation in opposition to incitement to racial hatred.
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Too early to say if terrorist cell behind the assault, residence secretary says
Mahmood’s subsequent cease is BBC Breakfast. She is requested if a terrorist cell is behind the assault.
It’s too early to say that but. Arrests have been made and the police investigation is continuous at tempo.
We’ll, after all, present extra data as that is available in from the police, however I feel it’s essential we don’t get forward of what we all know as the fundamental information of what has occurred.
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Subsequent on Sky information, Mahmood is requested concerning the pro-Palestine marches that occurred late on Thursday. She mentioned:
I used to be very disillusioned to see these protests go forward final night time.
I feel that behaviour is basically un-British. I feel it’s dishonourable.
I’d have needed these people to simply take a step again.
The problems which might be driving these protests have been occurring now for a while; they don’t appear to be they’re going to return to an finish any day quickly.
They might have stepped again and simply given a neighborhood that has suffered deep loss only a day or two to course of what has occurred and to hold on with the grieving course of.
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Earlier on her morning media spherical, the house secretary mentioned the attacker was not identified to police. She’s confronted an analogous line of questioning on Sky Information, the place she was requested whether or not he had been referred to the anti-terror Stop programme.
As you’d anticipate contemplating he was not identified to police, she says he had not.
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Dwelling secretary denies the popularity of Palestine has emboldened antisemites
Subsequent up for the house secretary is Instances Radio, on which she denied recognising Palestine had emboldened those that are antisemitic.
Mahmood mentioned:
The one particular person answerable for this devastating assault on our Jewish neighborhood is the attacker himself.
The police have made three extra arrests, and it’s essential that they’re allowed to proceed with their investigations and our strategy of justice is allowed to take its course. That’s separate to what’s taking place within the Center East.
The work of this authorities for the reason that day we had been elected has been to place our shoulder to the wheel within the diplomatic efforts in tough and delicate conversations which might be designed to attempt to convey an finish to that devastating warfare.
Far too many lives have been misplaced. We need to see a safe and secure state of Israel alongside a state of Palestine.
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Dwelling secretary urges folks to ‘step again from protesting for not less than a couple of days’
The house secretary has urged pro-Palestine protesters to not perform demonstrations within the wake of the fear assault in Better Manchester.
Talking on GB Information, Mahmood mentioned:
So far as I’m involved, I’d have needed to see folks on this nation step again from protesting for not less than a couple of days, simply to offer the Jewish neighborhood right here an opportunity to course of what has occurred and to start the grieving course of as properly.
I’m very disillusioned that a few of the organisers haven’t heeded the decision to step again.
I’d nonetheless name on folks to point out some love and a few solidarity to the households of those that have been murdered and to our Jewish neighborhood.
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Up to date at 03.20 EDT
Attacker was not identified to police, residence secretary says
The person who carried out the assault in Better Manchester was not identified to the police, the house secretary has confirmed.
Talking on GB Information as a part of her morning media spherical, Shabana Mahmood mentioned:
By way of the attacker, this particular person was not identified to the safety providers.
He has clearly been shot lifeless on the scene, however the police investigations will now proceed at tempo.
She thanked members of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall and the police, saying their actions helped save lives.
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Up to date at 02.55 EDT
Six minutes of terror: how Manchester synagogue assault unfolded
Josh Halliday
Worshippers had arrived early for a particular morning service at Heaton Park shul in north Manchester. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day within the Jewish calendar, and rabbi Daniel Walker was main prayers in his lengthy white robes. By 9.31am, they had been stained with blood.
Right here, our North of England editor Josh Halliday explains how the assault unfolded:
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Evaluation: MI5 and counter-terror police on heightened alert
Dan Sabbagh
MI5 and counter-terrorism police will function at a heightened state of alert within the coming weeks, reflecting concern that the Manchester synagogue assault could also be adopted by others through the interval across the second anniversary of the 7 October assault by Hamas on Israel.
Policing at synagogues throughout the nation is to be elevated. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, promised “excessive visibility” patrols in and outdoors Jewish locations of worship to reassure communities and to discourage any additional threats, whereas police forces elsewhere within the UK made comparable commitments.
Investigations into the assault, which killed two and critically injured 4 others, stay at an early stage. The central concept is that the killer, who was shot lifeless by police, had an Islamist motivation. There isn’t any data within the public area about whether or not he might have been radicalised by the continued Israeli navy marketing campaign and deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.
The assault, at about 9.30am on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, was not refined.
There have been considerations the attacker was carrying an explosive and appeared to have a vest and objects strapped to his waist, however the gadgets had been fakes. Victims on the synagogue, who had been marking the final day of Yom Kippur, had been stabbed with a knife.
A key line of inquiry for investigators is whether or not the attacker acted alone, although there may be not considered any ongoing risk to the general public.
Plots directed from abroad, as soon as the norm within the period of al-Qaida, have develop into uncommon and people are extra normally radicalised by following the information or gaining data on-line.
Investigators additionally acknowledged that the two-year Israel-Gaza warfare has modified the risk surroundings.
Two years in the past, Ken McCallum, the pinnacle of MI5, mentioned: “There clearly is the likelihood that profound occasions within the Center East will both generate extra quantity of UK risk, and/or change its form by way of what’s being focused, by way of how individuals are taking inspiration.”
Learn extra right here:
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That is the scene in Crumpsall on Friday morning:
{Photograph}: Peter Byrne/PA {Photograph}: Danny Lawson/PA {Photograph}: Hannah McKay/ReutersShare
Up to date at 02.37 EDT
Chris Osuh
Emotions of security within the UK’s Jewish neighborhood have declined sharply within the final couple of years, in response to the biggest survey of British Jews since 7 October 2023.
The analysis, carried out in June and July, discovered 35% of Jews felt unsafe in Britain in 2025, in contrast with 9% in 2023 earlier than the Hamas assaults.
Perceptions of antisemitism had additionally intensified, with 47% of British Jews seeing it as a “very huge” drawback – up from simply 11% in 2012.
The analysis, carried out by the Institute for Jewish Coverage Analysis (JPR), additionally discovered 32% of Jews reported experiencing not less than one antisemitic incident in 2024.
In the meantime, the Neighborhood Safety Belief (CST), which has been monitoring antisemitic incidents since 1994, recorded 1,521 instances within the UK from January to June 2025.
This was the second-highest complete ever recorded within the first half of any yr, second solely to the primary six months of 2024 with 2,019 within the quick aftermath of the 7 October atrocity.
Of the 1,521 antisemitic incidents this yr, 968 occurred throughout Better London and Better Manchester, the 2 UK cities with the largest Jewish populations.
The brand new report from the JPR examined how British Jews are navigating “a interval of profound problem and instability”.
It discovered emotional attachment to Israel had elevated – with 75% of British Jews feeling emotionally hooked up and 49% “very hooked up”, in contrast with 72% and 40% respectively simply earlier than 7 October.
Nonetheless, it additionally discovered “anti-Zionist identification” had risen from 8% in 2022 to 12% in 2025, most notably amongst youthful Jews, with 1 / 4 (24%) of 20- to 29-year-olds now figuring out as anti-Zionist, an increase from 13% in 2022.
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Right here’s a map exhibiting the place the assault occurred:
Map exhibiting the place the assault took placeShare
Thursday’s assault drew widespread condemnation from throughout the political spectrum, with Keir Starmer calling the knife attacker a “vile particular person” who “attacked Jews as a result of they’re Jews, and attacked Britain due to our values”. Political rivals Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage had been amongst these becoming a member of the prime minister in exhibiting assist for the Jewish neighborhood.
It occurred days earlier than the second anniversary of the 7 October assaults by Hamas in Israel. Police mentioned there can be heightened safety at synagogues and Jewish neighborhood centres in coming days. Analysis revealed on Thursday confirmed that greater than a 3rd (35%) of British Jews mentioned they felt unsafe within the UK, in contrast with 9% earlier than the 7 October assaults.
The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Management Council mentioned in a press release on Thursday night that the assault was “sadly one thing we feared was coming”.
They added: “We name on all these in positions of energy and affect to take the required motion to fight hatred in opposition to Jewish folks, and will likely be working with the authorities on a sequence of extra measures to guard our neighborhood over the approaching days.”
You’ll be able to reas our full report from yesterday right here:
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Naming the victims, Detective Ch Supt Lewis Hughes, who’s coordinating the casualty response, mentioned:
My deepest sympathies are with Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz’s family members at this extraordinarily laborious time.
Specifically educated household liaison officers are in touch with them. They’ll proceed to replace them on the investigation and assist them all through the coronial course of
Whereas there are processes which have to be adopted, we decide to being aware of cultural preferences and sensitivities and to making sure that these males and their family members’ needs are revered.
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Up to date at 02.16 EDT
Manchester synagogue assault victims named
The 2 males killed in Thursday’s assault on a synagogue in Manchester have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have mentioned.
Better Manchester police mentioned formal identification is but to happen however their households have been knowledgeable and household liaison officers are in touch.
The boys had been killed when an attacker used a automotive to ram into the grounds of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, then stabbed worshippers in a six-minute rampage that solely ended when armed officers shot at him twice.
Three others had been critically injured within the assault on Yom Kippur, the holiest day within the Jewish calendar.
Police named the attacker on Thursday night time as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent. Better Manchester police revealed that three different folks – two males of their 30s and a girl in her 60s – had been arrested “on suspicion of fee, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism”.
Postmortem examinations of the victims – each of whom are from Crumpsall – will happen in a while Friday.
We’ll convey you the most recent developments on this story as we get them.
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