Sep 23, 2026

Jewish News Today: Manchester Terror Plot Foiled, a Father Killed Shielding His Son, and Diaspora Communities on Edge

Two men were arrested on the eve of Yom Kippur over a suspected terror plot targeting the Manchester Jewish community, British counter-terror police have confirmed. The arrests came as Jewish diaspora communities across the UK, US and Germany absorbed a series of deeply unsettling developments — from a West Bank terror attack that killed a father of six to escalating political tensions over antisemitism in Berlin's coalition talks.

Manchester: Terror Plot Against Jewish Community Foiled on Kol Nidre

Counter Terror Police in the UK announced they had thwarted a plot against the Manchester Jewish community, with two men arrested on Kol Nidre — the night that opens Yom Kippur. According to the Jewish Chronicle, police stated they "do not believe there to be any ongoing threat to the public." JNS similarly reported that Greater Manchester's mayor and deputy mayor acknowledged the arrests would "send a chill down the spine amongst Jewish communities in Greater Manchester."

The timing — on one of the holiest nights in the Jewish calendar, when synagogues are at their fullest — will be felt acutely by communities across the UK. The arrests follow JNS reporting that counter-terror authorities were already mobilised ahead of the holiday.

West Bank: Teenager Eulogises Father Who Died Saving His Life

A father of six was killed in a terror attack in the West Bank just before Yom Kippur after shielding his teenage son from a Palestinian gunman who opened fire on both of them. According to the Forward and JTA, 16-year-old Yoav Shukrun stood at his father's grave after Yom Kippur and thanked him for the warning that saved his life. JTA also reported that National Security Minister Ben-Gvir is seeking the death penalty for the attacker.

The killing, just hours before the holiest day of the Jewish year, reverberated far beyond Israel. For diaspora Jews observing Yom Kippur in their own communities, news of the attack arrived as services were under way.

Church of England Criticised Over Gaza Stance by Jewish and Christian Leaders

A joint statement from Jewish and Christian leaders has accused the Church of England of having "damaged its moral authority" by "picking sides over the Gaza conflict and engaging with extremists," according to the Jewish Chronicle. The leaders called on the institution to "change direction." The intervention is significant for British Jews, for whom the Church of England remains a major civic institution and a point of interfaith dialogue.

Berlin Coalition Talks: Warnings Over Antisemitism and Die Linke

Pressure continued to mount in Berlin over the prospect of a left-wing coalition including Die Linke, following last weekend's state election. Federal Education Minister Karin Prien warned the SPD and Greens that "Jews and Jewish women can no longer feel safe" if Elif Eralp — a Die Linke figure — were to enter government, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. The SPD has since sent what the same outlet describes as a "stop signal" to Die Linke, citing the party's handling of antisemitism and clan crime as incompatible with coalition membership. Prominent publicist Michel Friedman and the Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft (DIG) Berlin and Brandenburg have separately called on the SPD and Greens to reject any such alliance.

These developments build on warnings already issued by the Central Council of Jews in Germany and other communal leaders in recent days. For Germany's Jewish community, the question of which parties govern Berlin — home to the country's largest Jewish population — carries direct consequences for communal safety and public policy on antisemitism.

Mahmoud Khalil at Left-Wing Yom Kippur Event

Pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil spoke at a left-wing Yom Kippur service, calling on God to "hold Israel accountable" and decrying what he termed the "Zionist project," according to the Jewish Chronicle and JTA. At the same event, Brad Lander reportedly suggested that the "wanton destruction of Gaza" was "at the centre of our shared transgressions." The use of Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement — as a platform for political statements about Israel drew sharp criticism from mainstream Jewish organisations and commentators.

US School Districts and Campuses: Antisemitism Cases Mount

A California judge ruled that a Bay Area school district is not complying with state mandates to address antisemitism, according to JNS, which reported that the ruling establishes a precedent allowing the state to "enforce its own orders" against districts "unwilling to acknowledge or address discrimination against Jews and Israelis." Separately, JNS reported that a school district in the Seattle area is bracing for anti-Israel walkouts on the anniversary of October 7, with a spokeswoman saying the district is "developing an action plan" in response to what she described as "active mobilisation" by outside groups.

Also in the US, a federal agency — the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — has filed suit against an ice cream company accused of firing a Jewish employee who requested a beard accommodation for religious reasons, JNS reported.

Nazi-Looted Art Returned to Heirs of German-Jewish Woman

New York and Bavarian authorities have jointly returned a painting stolen during the Nazi era to the heirs of a German-Jewish woman, according to JNS. A great-grandson of the original owner, Paul Laporte, stated that "the return of this painting corrects a longstanding historical wrong and restores to us an important piece of our heritage."

Argentina: Trial Ordered for 1994 AMIA Bombing Suspects

An Argentine judge has ordered a trial for several suspects — including Iranian officials — more than three decades after the 1994 AMIA bombing, the deadliest terror attack in Argentine history, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques was cited in the report. The move represents a significant, if long-delayed, step toward accountability for the attack.

Jewish Employees Survey Launched in the UK

A new survey examining antisemitism and anti-Zionism in the British workplace has been launched by the Jewish Legal Network in partnership with DEI expert Harriet Waley-Cohen, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The poll is aimed at Jewish employees across the UK and seeks to document experiences of discrimination at work.