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The violent incident at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester was shocking. It took two innocent lives, with a number of additional people injured. However, this horrific event could have occurred in many locations. This incident with broader implications for the nation and important lessons. On Thursday morning, Britain glimpsed into one of the grim realities toward which contemporary society has been heading. Having looked and seen, the nation now must understand and retreat from this path.

The Attack Began on Yom Kippur

The assault began around 9.30am, just as morning prayers were being held on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The place of worship was naturally crowded. Yet within a short period of time, two members of the Jewish community were killed in a stabbing, with four others injured, outside what ought to be a place of prayer and community. The attacker was then himself shot and killed, perhaps as he tried to enter the building. Reports suggest he carried an bomb.

Facts Still Emerging

Many specifics have yet been established. The sacred nature of the holiday means certain testimonies have yet to be shared. Fuller facts will emerge in the days to come. Greater Manchester police seem to have responded quickly, decisively and effectively. Security personnel and worshippers demonstrated courage too – a display of bravery that has often marked the community's reaction.

A Deadly Assault on a Jewish House of Worship

What remains clear is this: it was the most lethal assault on a Jewish place of worship in this country in modern times. It was a completely unjustified act of antisemitic terror. It was, however, sadly predicted and anticipated. It should serve as a alarm bell to the entire country.

Safeguarding the Jewish Population

The urgent priority is to guarantee that the Jewish population in all regions of the UK is protected in all necessary manners from the threat of additional violence. This responsibility extends past the protective services who are now a standard feature of Jewish community life, and further than the police, who have swiftly been deployed to protect other Jewish worship sites. Responsibility also falls upon us all, as citizens. The government leader was correct to make this his business, cutting short his schedule and coming back to head up the official reaction. The security of the Jewish community and of its individual members and families is a state responsibility.

A Shocking Climax to Rising Antisemitism

This Manchester incident is a new and shocking climax to a wave of anti-Jewish attacks that has increased since the awful events of 7 October 2023. In the 12 months after the Hamas attacks, there were thousands of reported cases in the UK – including harassment, threats, assaults, vandalism and defilement – a 204% year-on-year increase. We are approaching the two-year mark now. The Middle East conflict has had terrible repercussions across the globe. The damage gets more severe, not improved. People of every faith and none feel angry, powerless and afraid. However, there is nothing that can justify any part of what occurred outside the synagogue.

A Critical Juncture

On Tuesday, less than 48 hours before the assailant arrived outside the Jewish temple, a political leader told a conference that the nation has reached a critical decision point, where it faces a choice between division and civility. Addresses by leaders are frequently banal and often overstated, but these words turn out to be more true than he could have known. The path of disunity lies directly ahead. But the path of respect is the one that we need to choose.