Oct 04, 2026

Jewish News Today: Manchester Bomb Plot Suspects Named, Three Years of Oct. 7 Losses Counted, and Flydubai Captain Invited to Israel

Two Iranian men who entered the UK on small boats have been named and charged in connection with an alleged bomb plot targeting Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester — the same synagogue where two people died in a terror attack last year. Separately, as Israel's third Simchat Torah since October 7 was marked in the streets of Jerusalem, the National Insurance Institute released a sobering accounting of the human cost since that day. And the wounded captain of Flydubai Flight 1073, whose story broke in yesterday's coverage, has now received a personal invitation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend Israel's Independence Day ceremony.

Manchester Bomb Plot: Two Iranian Men Named in Court

The two suspects in the alleged plot to bomb Heaton Park Synagogue have been identified as Salam Ahmadyan and Rahman Salehi, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Both men are alleged to have arrived in the UK on small boats. The Jewish Chronicle reports that the pair allegedly conducted "hostile reconnaissance" of the Manchester synagogue — the same site where two people were killed in a terror attack last year.

JNS adds that the suspects allegedly prepared a chlorine bomb while scoping the synagogue as a target for a second attack. Both men have now been charged in connection with the terror plot.

For British Jewish communities — and particularly those in Manchester — the revelation that the suspects allegedly identified a specific synagogue for a follow-on attack, after it had already suffered a deadly assault, will land with particular gravity. The charges represent a significant development in what authorities are treating as a coordinated Iranian-linked threat to Jewish life on British soil.

Three Years On: Israel Counts Its Dead

As Israel marked the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks during the Simchat Torah holiday, the National Insurance Institute released figures documenting the scale of loss since that day. According to JNS, 1,318 security personnel have been killed since October 7. Terror attacks have also claimed 1,029 civilian lives, with tens of thousands more wounded over the three years, the Institute reported.

In Jerusalem, the occasion was also marked with Second Hakafot — the traditional outdoor dancing with Torah scrolls celebrated after the holiday itself. JNS reported scenes of Israelis dancing in the streets under the banner "We will dance again," with the celebrations described as bringing together joy, memory and a sense of Jewish unity. The image of Israelis choosing to dance on the same date, three years on, carried weight that went beyond the religious calendar.

For diaspora communities in the UK, Germany and the United States, where Simchat Torah 2023 became the moment many learned of the attacks, this third anniversary carries its own particular resonance.

Flydubai Captain: Netanyahu's Personal Invitation

Following yesterday's coverage of the Flydubai Flight 1073 attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now personally invited Captain Smit Machchhar to attend Israel's Independence Day ceremony, JNS reports. Netanyahu called the wounded pilot directly and praised him after Machchhar, despite having been attacked with an axe mid-flight, helped passengers and crew foil a violent midair hijacking that endangered 180 passengers and crew.

The Jewish Chronicle reports that Netanyahu's office described the invitation as an honour extended to the captain for defying his injuries to help save those on board. JNS also reported separately on the role played by ordinary Israeli passengers in helping to subdue the attacker during the flight.

A parallel investigation, also reported by JNS, found that Israel's Transportation Ministry had failed to adequately vet foreign flight crews — with Israel's Tax Authority confirming it had received a list of foreign flight crews but had checked them only for criminal status, not for security risks. The finding raises questions about the systemic gaps the attack exposed.

UK Greens: A Debate Over Zionism and Jewish Inclusion

In British political news with direct relevance to Jewish communities, the Jewish Chronicle reports that Adrian Ramsay MP — a former co-leader of the Green Party — stated ahead of a party vote that it is "critical" the Greens welcome Jewish environmentalists who identify as Zionist. Ramsay told the Jewish Chronicle he would oppose a motion at the party conference describing "Zionism as racism." The vote and its outcome matter for British Jews who are active in environmental politics and have faced questions about their place within progressive movements.

Israel's Supreme Court Reinstates Arab Parties Ahead of Election

Israel's Supreme Court has overturned a decision to disqualify Arab parties from the upcoming Israeli election, JNS reported. Separately, Balad party chair Sami Abu Shehadeh — who had written a piece described by JNS as lauding Hamas's October 7 attacks — withdrew his candidacy ahead of the vote.

The election picture is also being shaped by new political formations. The Jewish Chronicle profiles Yashar, a centrist party formed in 2025 and led by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, which is seeking to position itself between Likud on the right and the Democrats on the left, and which the Chronicle asks could pose a challenge to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

IDF Operations During the Holiday Period

Over the Simchat Torah holiday, the IDF carried out a series of counterterror operations. JNS reports that 50 Palestinian terrorists were detained in Judea and Samaria, with troops confiscating weapons, drones and other military equipment. In Gaza, JNS reports that the IDF killed two commanders of Islamic Jihad's rocket array in what the military described as precise strikes on terrorist operatives.