Was the synagogue attack ‘inevitable’? After Thursday’s horrific terror incident, some people believe we are entering a new era of antisemitic violence. Others say the story is not so straightforward.
Six minutes of terror in Manchester
Terrorist tragedy: A statement from the Heaton Park Synagogue said they feel "loss beyond words", but the synagogue's leaders also praise the bravery of security and first responders who, they say," saved countless lives". Comprehension quiz
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Define the word “collateral” as it is used in the phrase “British Jews have become collateral targets of this distant war”.
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Which word is the closest synonym for “vile” as used in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s condemnation of the attack?
A: Mysterious
B: Horrible
C: Misunderstood
D: Religious
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What record number of Antisemitic incidents were recorded in the UK during the first six months of 2024?
A: 300
B: 931
C: 2,019
D: 66
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The article suggests that the surge in antisemitic incidents in the UK is linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas because:
A: The attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, was a former Hamas member.
B: The conflict has stopped non-religious Jews from visiting the synagogue.
C: Tensions from the conflict have “spilled over” and led to British Jews being attacked in revenge for Israeli army actions.
D: Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly blamed Hamas for the attack.
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Who stated publicly that the Manchester incident was something they feared or knew would eventually happen?
A: The police and the Manchester community.
B: The Board of Deputies of British Jews and Sir Ephraim Mirvis, Britain’s chief rabbi.
C: Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Danny Cohen.
D: The Guardian newspaper and a YouGov poll.
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The article presents two opposing viewpoints on whether the attack was “inevitable”. One side says yes, due to rising prejudice and tension, while the other side says no, because individual choices and potential police intervention matter. Which viewpoint do you find more convincing and why?
Answers
Tap to reveal
1: Unintended or indirect, 2: A, 3: C, 4: C, 5: B, 6: Your view!
1: Unintended or indirect, 2: A, 3: C, 4: C, 5: B, 6: Your view!
Glossary
Yom Kippur - A festival which comes nine days after the Jewish New Year. The name translates as "Day of Atonement".
Synagogue - The Jewish place of worship.
Terrorism - The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
Antisemitic - Hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.
Normalised - To make something into a normal and everyday situation.
Hamas - A militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.
Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.
Collateral - Something connected to an action or cause, but not in an intended way.
Nazis - A German political party of the twentieth century, led by Adolf Hitler. The Nazis controlled Germany from the early 1930s until the end of World War II.
Islamophobia - Dislike of Islam and Muslims.
Prejudice - An idea about something, especially a group of people, that is not based on reality.
Far-right - A range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents.
Rabbi - A Jewish religious leader.
Holocaust - The murder of six million Jewish people in Europe by Nazi Germany. Members of other minority groups were also killed.
Genocide - The annihilation of a people, either through killing of its members, or through the suppression of its culture.