Following the deadly attack in a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, Israeli leaders condemned the incident and addressed the increase in antisemitic attacks in the United Kingdom.
"Israel grieves with the Jewish community in the UK after the barbaric terror attack in Manchester," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "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."
President Isaac Herzog spoke with Mark Adlestone, chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, and expressed his heartfelt sorrow over the attack, sending his prayers and condolences to the victims and their families.
Herzog reveals letter to King Charles on rising antisemitism
The president revealed that just earlier this week, he sent a letter to King Charles III expressing concern about the rise of antisemitism in the UK and the Commonwealth.
In his letter, the President highlighted the severe challenges facing Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, where incidents of violent antisemitism have surged to unprecedented levels.
"Your Majesty," he wrote in the letter, "some of the most difficult scenes of antisemitic hatred and violence have sadly been witnessed in the UK, Australia, and Canada. Three proud democracies. Three proud leaders of the free world. Three proud Commonwealth countries under the Crown. Three countries where Jews no longer feel safe."
The president stressed the urgency of combating the rise in hatred against Jews.
Quoting the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Herzog wrote: “Antisemitism is the world’s most reliable early warning sign of a major threat to freedom.”
"These statistics and testimonies," he wrote, "point to one very grave reality: the world, and the Commonwealth in particular, is suffering from an epidemic of antisemitism posing a real and present danger to the well-being of not only the Jews, but all in society."
"The nations which just eighty years ago stood united against fascism and Nazism have now become overrun with anti-Jewish hatred."
Herzog acknowledged that the rise in antisemitism correlates with current events in the Middle East. He stressed, however, that “the free world cannot and must not allow the [Middle East] conflict to become a political tool against the Jewish people.”
The president ended the letter by expressing his certainty that King Charles's "concern and moral leadership on this issue will be a great source of comfort and encouragement for the Jewish community in the Commonwealth and around the world."
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman responded by calling on UK Jews to make aliyah.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar took to X/Twitter to express his thoughts, writing that "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 blamed British authorities for failing to take "necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism" and allowing it to persist.
"We expect and demand a change of course, effective action, and enforcement against the rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain," concluded the post.
Sa'ar asked Adlestone on Tuesday to convey solidarity and to strengthen the families of those affects, as well as the entire Manchester community.
Adlestone described the distress experienced in the community following the attack, and expressed that he has received broad support from many in the UK.
Both agreed in their conversation that a determined fight against antisemitism is required, and that antisemites must not be allowed to hide behind “anti-Zionism,” a form of antisemitism, according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition.