Two Jews were killed and three were seriously injured in a ramming and stabbing attack outside a shul in Manchester, UK, on Yom Kippur at about 9:30 a.m.

Witnesses said that the terrorist rammed his car into a group of Jews outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, a suburb in the north of Manchester. He then stabbed anyone “wearing a kippah,” a witness said.

The terrorist was shot and killed by police officers called to the scene. His identity has not yet been revealed. The police said that two other people were arrested in connection with the attack.

One of the victims was the shul’s security guard.

Local resident Chava Lewin said, “The moment he got out of the car, he started stabbing anyone nearby. He went for the guard and tried to break into the synagogue. Someone blocked the door. Everyone was in total shock.”

According to UK media outlets, Rabbi Daniel Walker, the Rav of the shul, quickly locked the shul doors and prevented the terrorist from entering. “He was incredibly calm,” Lewin said. “He’s a hero. It could have been much worse.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Motzei Yom Kippur slammed British authorities for failing to take action to halt antisemitism. “The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses,” he posted on X.

“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, adding: “We expect more than words from the Starmer government. We expect and demand a change of course.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated, “Israel grieves with the Jewish community in the UK after the barbaric terror attack in Manchester. Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli wrote: “I am horrified by this barbaric attack – yet sadly, not surprised.

“The feebleness of the British government under Keir Starmer, pouring fuel on the flames with hollow proclamations for a Palestinian terror state, directly enabled this atrocity on the holiest day for the Jewish people.

“Antisemitism in Britain stands at record highs, and today it claimed the lives of two worshippers. Only the resilience and courage of the synagogue’s rabbi prevented an even greater disaster. I pray the British people rise like lions, break the chains of political correctness, and purge their nation of radical Islamism.”

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated on Motzei Yom Kippur in Israel)