The horrific terror attack in Manchester is the latest antisemitic incident to shake our nation. While the country at large reacts with shock and mourning, those of us who have been campaigning to defend Israel and the Jewish people are sadly not surprised. For years, Jewish people across Britain have felt increasingly vulnerable as a relentless wave of anti-Israel rhetoric, hate-filled demonstrations, and inflammatory political decisions have emboldened those who harbour antisemitic hatred.
This tragedy did not occur in a vacuum. A disturbing trend in antisemitic incidents was observed shortly after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. Contrary to the false narrative that spikes in antisemitism are linked to Israeli military responses, where Jews are blamed for causing antisemitism, the reality proved different: the rise came because of Hamas’s perceived “success.”
The massacre of 1,200 Israelis was celebrated openly in the streets of London and other Western capitals. That celebration—by those waving Hamas flags and chanting in support of the terrorist group—was not merely a fringe occurrence. It served as an inspiration to others who sought to target Jews in their own countries.
In Britain, synagogues were vandalised, visibly Jewish people were harassed, and Jewish schools had to increase security. It was as though Hamas’s atrocities gave a licence for antisemites worldwide to vent their hatred more publicly and aggressively.
"You are not alone."
CUFI Statement following the Manchester synagogue attack. https://t.co/5ccVhJQHa2
— Christians United for Israel UK (CUFI UK) (@CUFI_UK) October 3, 2025
That’s right, it wasn’t Jews causing antisemitism, as the antisemites claim. It’s not hard to understand that antisemitism fuels antisemitism.
We have seen this sickening pattern time and again: every time Hamas or another terror group scores a symbolic “victory” against Israel, antisemitism ignites elsewhere.
When Iran launched the largest ballistic missile attack in history against Israel, hatred against Jews increased.
When the lead singer of Bob Vylan chanted “Death to the IDF” during Glastonbury, these were not just empty words. They were amplified by the BBC and normalised in public discourse. According to the Community Security Trust (CST), that very day recorded the highest number of antisemitic incidents of the year so far.
The same is true in the political arena. When Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that his government would recognise a Palestinian state, we at Christians United for Israel (CUFI) warned immediately that such a move would embolden Israel’s enemies and make Jews in Britain less safe. That prediction was not alarmist, it was rooted in the observable fact that political blows against Israel inevitably translate into physical or verbal attacks against Jews on British streets.
The correlation is undeniable: whenever Israel is attacked, whether militarily, diplomatically, or symbolically, the Jewish diaspora suffers.
Antisemitism, driven by resentment of the Jewish state, lashes out indiscriminately at Jewish people everywhere. It is a spiritual hatred that drives many to relish in seeing Jews suffer. Instead of having sympathy when Israelis are killed, they instead join in the hatred. It’s like kicking someone when they’re down.
This malignant pattern has now tragically resurfaced with the Manchester synagogue attack. Sadly, this week, two Jews were murdered inside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall neighbourhood, with four more critically injured. The attacker was shot dead by police.
To most rational people, this barbaric act has prompted feelings of horror, outrage, and grief. Yet, within the antisemitic, anti-Israel movement, it is seen not as a tragedy but as a rallying cry, a vindication of their hatred, spurring them to carry on their campaign against Jews.
We saw people protesting in the streets in the hours following the Manchester synagogue attack, saying they “do not give a f*** about the Jewish community right now”. There were clashes with police in London by pro-Palestinian activists that led to over forty people being arrested.
The Jewish community is not sitting idly by.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council released a joint statement saying they are “devastated” by the attack.
“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,” they wrote.
“At a time of rising antisemitism in the UK, this attack was sadly something we feared was coming. We call on all those in positions of power and influence to take the required action to combat hatred against Jewish people and will be working with the authorities on a series of additional measures to protect our community over the coming days.”
Israel’s embassy in London also condemned the attack, calling it “abhorrent and deeply distressing” that such violence should occur “on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.”
“The safety and security of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom must be guaranteed,” it stressed.
This must act as a warning for Britain
The Manchester synagogue attack is not an isolated incident but part of a worsening trend. Britain is at a crossroads. Will we allow antisemitism to spread unchecked under the guise of political protest, or will we confront this hatred head-on? Will the government stop fuelling the flames of antisemitism? Will antisemites be dealt with properly?
Antisemitism in Britain today is not just some abstract thing that can be ignored, and it is intimately tied to hostility towards Israel. As long as anti-Israel rhetoric is tolerated, celebrated, and even amplified in mainstream politics, culture, and media, Jews in Britain will remain at risk.
The murder of Jews in Manchester must not be dismissed as the act of a lone extremist. It is the bloody fruit of years of incitement, demonisation of Israel, and the failure to tackle hatred before it turns violent.
The Jewish community should not have to live in fear in their own country. What starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews. And if the UK wants to survive, it must recognise that protecting the Jewish community is not optional, it’s our moral duty.
