LONDON (AP) – British police were given extra time on Saturday, questioning four people arrested on suspicion of terrorist crimes after an attack on a synagogue in northwest England left two deaths and caused shock and grief to the British Jewish community.
Two other people arrested were released without guilty.
Jihad al Shami, 35, was shot dead by police outside a synagogue at the Heaton Park congregation in Manchester on Thursday, plunging his car into a pedestrian, attacking him with a knife and trying to push him into the building.
Congregation members Melvin Kravitz, age 66, and 53-year-old Adrian Doorby died in the attack on Yom Kipur, the most sacred day of the Jewish year. Police say Dourby was accidentally shot by an armed officer as he and the other congregations barricaded the synagogue to stop Al Shami from entering. Three other men are hospitalized with serious injuries.
Detectives say Al Shami, a British citizen of Syrian origin who lived in Manchester, may have been influenced by “extreme Muslim ideology.” He wore what appears to be an explosive belt, but it turns out to be a fake.
Police said Al Shami had been released on bail for alleged rape at the time of the attack but had not been charged.
Three men and three women have been arrested in the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of “terrorist acts committee, preparation and incitement” as police work to determine whether the attacker acted alone. The court on Saturday granted police five more days to hold four suspects, a man age 30 and 32, and a woman age 46 and a 61-year-old woman. The 18-year-old woman and the 43-year-old man were released without further action.
Police have not identified the people who were arrested or have not disclosed links with Al Shami.
The rising anti-Semitism incident
The attacks devastated the British Jewish community and strengthened debate about the line between Israeli criticism and anti-Semitism.
Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have been rising sharply since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, when Hamas’ subsequent campaign against Israel and Israel’s Hamas against Hamas has risen sharply, according to Community Security Trust, a charity that provides advice and protection to British Jews.
Some politicians and religious leaders argued that the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which have been held regularly since the start of the war in Gaza, have played a role in spreading hatred towards Jews. The protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, but some incite chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
He also said that last month’s UK perception of the Palestinian state encourages the government’s claims it is rejecting. Deputy Prime Minister David Lamy was interrupted on Friday by boos and screams of “Your Shame of Shame” as he stayed up vigil on the victims of the attack in Manchester.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters frequently condemn Israel’s critics or acts of anti-Semitism wars. Critics see it as an attempt to suppress even legitimate criticism.
Chief of British Orthodox Judaism, Rabbi Ephraim Milvis, said the attack was the result of “a wave of merciless Jewish hatred” on the streets and online.
Pro-Palestinian Rally in Manchester and London
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were detained in Manchester and London on Saturday despite objections from police and politicians. British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said organizers should “recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week” and postponed the protest.
About 100 people gathered at Manchester Square in the heart of the heavy rain, waving Palestinian flags and demanding an end to the war in Gaza.
In London, organizers said about 1,000 people were opposed to the ban on Palestine’s actions. This is a direct action group that destroyed British military aircraft and targeted locations with ties to the Israeli army. It is labelled as a terrorist organization by the government, making it illegal to support the group. Critics say they step on their right to free speech and protest.
Police officers carried away many people who were quietly sitting on Trafalgar Square, saying, “I am against genocide and support Palestinian actions.” Police said they have made at least 493 arrests.
Since Palestine’s actions were banned in July, more than 2,000 people have now been arrested in protest, and more than 130 have been charged with terrorist crimes.
Actor Jonathon Pollitt said protesters would “show great respect and true sadness to those affected by Heaton Park’s absolute atrocities.”
“But I don’t think that should be called to give up the right to stand up for those who are ravaged by the ongoing real-time genocide in Gaza,” he told the BBC.
