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This brutal assault at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester was outrageous. It claimed the lives of two innocent individuals, with a number of additional people injured. However, this horrific event might have taken place almost anywhere. This incident with wider national meaning and critical takeaways. On Thursday morning, Britain looked over the edge one of the grim realities toward which modern public life has been heading. After witnessing this, Britain now must understand and retreat from this path.

The Violence Unfolded on Yom Kippur

The assault began around 9.30am, just as morning prayers were being held on Yom Kippur, Judaism's most solemn and sacred day. The synagogue 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 should be a place of prayer and community. The attacker was then fatally shot by authorities, perhaps as he attempted to get inside the building. Reports suggest he carried an bomb.

Details Still Emerging

Many specifics have so far been confirmed. The sacred nature of the holiday means some Jewish accounts have yet to be shared. Fuller facts will emerge in the days to come. Local law enforcement seem to have responded quickly, decisively and effectively. Synagogue security and worshippers demonstrated courage too – a display of bravery that has often marked the public response.

A Lethal Attack on a Synagogue

What remains clear is this: it was the most lethal assault on a Jewish place of worship in this country in recent history. It was a wholly unprovoked act of antisemitic terror. It was, however, sadly predicted and feared. It ought to be a wake-up call to the entire country.

Safeguarding the Jewish Community

The urgent priority is to ensure that the Jewish population in all regions of the UK is protected in all necessary manners from the danger of further attack. This responsibility goes beyond the security guards who are now a standard feature of Jewish community life, and further than the police, who have swiftly been deployed to guard other Jewish worship sites. Accountability also rests with every citizen, as citizens. The prime minister was absolutely right to take personal charge, interrupting his schedule and returning to lead the response. The safety of the Jewish community and of its members and their loved ones is a state responsibility.

A Tragic Peak to Rising Antisemitism

The Heaton Park attack is a recent and alarming peak to a tide of antisemitic violence that has increased since the horrific incidents of October 7, 2023. In the year after the Hamas attacks, there were 5,583 incidents in the UK – including abusive behaviour, threats, physical attacks, damage and desecration – a more than doubling from the previous year. We are within days the two-year mark now. The conflict in the Middle East has had terrible repercussions across the globe. The harm gets more severe, not better. Individuals of all beliefs feel outraged, powerless and afraid. Yet, there is nothing that can excuse any part of what occurred outside the synagogue.

A Critical Juncture

Earlier this week, less than 48 hours before the assailant appeared outside the Jewish temple, a senior politician told a conference that the nation has reached a critical decision point, where it faces a choice between division and decency. Political speeches are often routine and sometimes exaggerated, but these words turn out to be more true than anyone anticipated. The path of disunity lies right in front of us. But the road to decency is the one that we must take.