“Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries. One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack.
“The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker.
“We are working to formally identify those who have tragically been killed and provide support to their loved ones, in addition to the injured and the wider community.”
Jewish leaders praised the rapid response by local police, who stopped the attacker within seven minutes of being called, but they expressed dismay at rising antisemitism and called on political leaders to do more to stop the hatred and violence.
Marc Levy, the chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, said the country had to do more to stop foreign conflict being imported onto British streets.
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He said the attack showed what it meant when protesters used phrases like “globalising the intifada” – a reference to Palestinian uprising against Israel.
“Unfortunately, at this time, we have seen a surge in hate crime, and we have been warning about this for a considerable period of time,” he told the BBC.
“And there has been precious little solidarity and support from many in wider society who seem to dismiss anti-Jewish racism as some second-class form of racism.”
Dame Louise Ellman, a vice-president of the Jewish Leadership Council and a former Labour MP, said there had been rising concern about antisemitism and a fear that an attack would occur.
“It’s an issue for the Jewish community, it’s also an issue for the whole of society,” she said. “What are we going to do to stop hate speech? We want freedom of speech, yes, but it should not spill into hatred.”
Members of the Jewish community comfort each other near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue.Credit: AP
Violent clashes broke out between pro-Palestinian protesters and police outside the gates of Downing Street last night just hours after a terror attack at a Manchester synagogue.
Thousands of people waving Palestinian flags gathered in central London on the same day two Jewish worshippers were killed and three others injured in the car and knife attack. They were responding to an earlier call to protest against the arrest of Greta Thunberg.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement regarding the Manchester Synagogue attack.Credit: Getty Images
Police and other emergency responders at the scene in Manchester.Credit: Getty Images
The attack, declared a terrorism incident by authorities, took place as worshippers gathered at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
The synagogue is in the northern Manchester suburb of Crumpsall, where Jewish and Muslim communities live side-by-side. Manchester has 25,000 Jews, the largest community in Britain outside London.
Members of the public at the site of the attack.Credit: Getty Images
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ordered stronger police protection for all Jewish centres around Britain after he emerged from a cabinet meeting to condemn the attack.
“Earlier today, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish community, a vile individual committed a terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews, and attacked Britain because of our values,” he said.
An armed police officer patrols near the scene of a stabbing incident.Credit: AP
Armed Police, emergency responders and congregants gather near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, where multiple were injured after stabbing and car attack on Yom Kippur.Credit: Getty Images
Acknowledging the rising antisemitism, he addressed Jewish people directly in a televised media statement that said Britain had to defeat the hatred against Jews as it has done before.
“I promise you that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve, starting with a more visible police presence, protecting your community,” he said.
The Greater Manchester Police said those inside the synagogue had helped to stop attacker alongside security volunteers who managed to close the building and prevent him entering.
“Thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and the worshippers inside as well as the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access,” said the police chief, Sir Stephen Watson.
Screengrabs of a video posted on social media appear to show the moment police shot the alleged attacker.Credit: Twitter
Witnesses described seeing a car mount the pavement and ram an individual outside the synagogue, in what they thought was an accident. They then saw a man get out of the vehicle, wielding a knife and stabbing those nearby to gain entry to the building.
In one video shared on social media showing the aftermath of the attack, police urge bystanders to move back, while a suspect is on the ground next to the synagogue wall. A policeman warns that the suspect has a bomb. When the man on the ground attempts to get up, he is shot.
“The guy had a knife, and he was just stabbing the window trying to get in,” said one witness, Gareth, to the BBC.
Police were called at 9.31am and stopped the attack by 9.38am.
Police, emergency responders and congregants gather near the Heaton Park.Credit: Getty Images
The police called a bomb disposal unit and later said the suspect did not have a “viable” explosive.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has called on the Starmer government to “curb this toxic wave of antisemitism” in the UK.
“The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist,” he said.
“We expect more than words from the Starmer government. We expect and demand a change of course, effective action, and enforcement against the rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain.”
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