Paul Stott

There’s a case for arguing that this has been the worst year for Jews in Britain since Edward I ordered their expulsion in 1290. This sense of growing peril explains why the Prime Minister has summoned police chiefs, civil society organisations and politicians to a ‘Forum on tackling anti-Semitism’ first thing tomorrow at No. 10 Downing Street. But how far will this summit actually be willing to go in tackling the really difficult questions here – notwithstanding the government’s pride in its new strategy for counter-extremism and strengthening social cohesion that was produced in March? The current government proclaims loudly its opposition to anti-Semitism.

British politics looks very different today. Opinion polls suggested for some months that the Greens could challenge and defeat Labour in its traditional seats – Hannah Spencer has now gone and done it. With Reform’s Matt Goodwin pushing Labour into third, Keir Starmer is now being pulled apart from all sides. The issue of Gaza was central to Spencer’s campaign, rooted in the Gorton half of the constituency with a high number of Muslim voters. The appearance of Palestinian and Pakistani flags on election night and an Urdu video promoting the Greens, complete with images of Labour leaders with ‘baddies’ such as Modi and Netanyahu, made uncomfortable viewing for many.

The terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue – on the morning of Yom Kippur – can be described as a lot of things. Horrific, shocking, vile, but it was a not a surprise. Britain has been heading in this direction for many years. Jews in Manchester already knew they were potential targets While the 7/10 attacks, the worst slaughter of Jews since the Second World War, brought antisemitic terrorism into global focus, Jews in Manchester already knew they were potential targets. In 2012 a husband and wife from Oldham were jailed for an Al-Qaeda inspired plot to bomb Jewish buildings in Greater Manchester. In May 2024, three men appeared in court charged with an alleged Islamic State inspired plot to murder Jews, the police and the military in the area with automatic firearms.