Police question 6 suspects over deadly Manchester synagogue attack
[October 04, 2025]
By JILL LAWLESS
LONDON (AP) — Police on Saturday were questioning six people arrested on
suspicion of terror offenses after an attack on a synagogue in northwest
England that left two men dead and Britain’s Jewish community shocked
and grieving.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by police on Thursday outside the
Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester after he rammed a car
into pedestrians, attacked them with a knife and tried to force his way
into the building.
Congregation members Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, died in
the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Police say
Daulby was accidentally shot by an armed officer as he and other
congregants barricaded the synagogue to block Al-Shamie from entering.
Three other men are hospitalized with serious injuries.
Detectives say Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian origin who lived
in Manchester, may have been influenced by “extreme Islamist ideology.”
He wore what appeared to be an explosives belt, which was found to be
fake.
Police said Al-Shamie was on bail over an alleged rape at the time of
the attack but had not been charged.
Three men and three women, aged between 18 and their 60s, were arrested
in the greater Manchester area on suspicion of the “commission,
preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism,” as police work to
determine whether the attacker acted alone.
The attack has devastated Britain’s Jewish community and intensified
debate about the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
Recorded antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have risen sharply since
Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war against
Hamas in Gaza, according to Community Security Trust, a charity that
provides advice and protection for British Jews.
Some politicians and religious leaders claimed pro-Palestinian
demonstrations, which have been held regularly since the war in Gaza
began, had played a role in spreading hatred of Jews. The protests have
been overwhelmingly peaceful but some say chants such as “From the river
to the sea, Palestine will be free” incite anti-Jewish hatred.
[to top of second column]
|
A woman wears the flag of Israel wrapped over her back as she
attends a vigil for the victims of the attack on at Heaton Park
Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England,
Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters have
frequently accused critics of Israel or its conduct of the war of
antisemitism. Critics see it as an attempt to stifle even legitimate
criticism.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the head of Orthodox Judaism in Britain,
said the attack was the result of “an unrelenting wave of Jew
hatred” on the streets and online.
Some also say the U.K.’s recognition of a Palestinian state last
month has emboldened antisemitism — a claim the government rejects.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was interrupted by boos and shouts
of “Shame on you” on Friday as he addressed a vigil for victims of
the attack in Manchester.
Police in London urged organizers to call off a protest planned for
Saturday to oppose the banning of the group Palestine Action, which
has been labeled a terrorist organization by the government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said protest organizers should
“recognize and respect the grief of British Jews this week” and
postpone the demonstration.
The group Defend Our Juries said it would not cancel the protest,
where hundreds of people are expected to risk arrest by holding
signs supporting the banned group.
Member Jonathon Porritt said protesters would “demonstrate huge
respect and real grief for those affected by the absolute atrocity
at Heaton Park.
“But I don’t think that means that we should be asked to give up on
our right to stand up for those who are being devastated by an
ongoing, real-time genocide in Gaza,” he told the BBC.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
