Britain gave him refuge. He repaid it with horror

Manchester: Nobody needed to know the name of the alleged killer to realise the terrorist attack in Manchester was an act of hatred by a man who targeted Jews simply because of their faith.

Photographs from the scene showed the bald-and-bearded suspect wearing what looked like an explosive device around his waist, although it was later found not to be “viable”.

Police confirmed he was Jihad al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. Soon, it was reported he was 35 and had lived in Manchester for at least a decade. He was single, his neighbours said, with no children that they knew of. He kept to himself. Authorities say he had no record of terrorism offences.

Britain gave al-Shamie safety from Syria when he was a child and granted him citizenship when he was about 16. He repaid that by bringing terror to a Jewish community that has lived peacefully in Manchester for generations. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year.

The anger over this attack is already sharpening the questions for Sir Keir Starmer about whether he has done enough as British prime minister to stop the rise in antisemitism. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says anti-Jewish hate is rampant on British streets and campuses.

“We expect more than words from the Starmer government,” he says. Underneath this is the idea that Starmer opened the way for more hatred of Israel and the Jewish people with his decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

Unless the investigation into al-Shamie turns up proof that he was guided by British political debate or United Nations resolutions, it is wiser to assume he was another weak-minded acolyte for the false prophets of terror.

Is a political leader always to blame for a terrorist attack that happens on his or her watch?

The truth is that antisemitism surged in Britain after Hamas unleashed its assault on Israeli civilians in October 2023.

The Community Security Trust, which tracks antisemitism in the UK, says attacks rose from 1662 in 2022 to 4296 in 2023. They eased a little to 2528 in 2024.

If the next tally shows another surge, Starmer will be under even greater pressure to show that his government can use its full authority to curb the hatred.

Jewish leaders say the problem is getting worse – although they should not need to say it because the Manchester attack is proof.

Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester chief executive Marc Levy said there had been “precious little solidarity” from many in society in the face of this antisemitism.

Sir Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, offered a disturbing assessment.

“For so long, we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere – this is the tragic result,” he posted on social media.

“This [was] not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share.

“I pray that this tragedy strengthens our collective resolve to confront antisemitism, in all its guises, once and for all.”

The Manchester attack will have an impact far beyond the immediate debates. It will intensify the national anxiety about a changing Britain.

Those who march against migration, for instance, will no doubt point to al-Shamie as proof that migrants are bringing their hatreds and their wars into their new country.

Politicians have been saying for decades that migrants should leave foreign wars behind them when they arrive. They say this in Australia as much as in the United Kingdom, and their words are meant to reassure everyone that migration does not import conflict.

This attack shatters that assurance. The anxiety will run deep.

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