A Manchester man hailed as a hero for helping to thwart a terrorist attack on his synagogue is now considering leaving the UK, stating he no longer feels safe raising his children in Britain.
A Night of Terror on Yom Kippur
Yoni Finlay, 39, was among the worshippers at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on October 2 when Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, launched a violent knife rampage. The attack occurred on Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar.
Finlay, a father-of-three, helped barricade the synagogue doors alongside others in a desperate attempt to prevent the assailant from entering the building. During the chaos, armed police officers opened fire on Al-Shamie as he tried to force his way inside.
The Aftermath and a Difficult Recovery
Tragically, the police intervention led to further casualties. Melvin Cravitz, 66, was killed in the attack. Adrian Daulby, 53, who was also helping to barricade the door with Mr Finlay, was mistakenly shot and killed by officers.
Yoni Finlay was also hit by a stray police bullet, an injury that required seven hours of surgery. Despite the severe outcome, Mr Finlay has expressed that he does not blame the Greater Manchester Police officer, acknowledging they were acting to stop the terrorist.
He recounted the harrowing moment, stating he had never been so close to evil and could 'feel' it radiating from Al-Shamie as he tried to break in. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the police response to the incident.
Rising Antisemitism Prompts a Heartbreaking Decision
In the wake of the attack and amid a sharp rise in antisemitism, Mr Finlay is in discussions with his former partner about a potential move to Israel with his four children. 'It would be really upsetting to leave Manchester. This is my home town. I am Mancunian,' he said. 'But I can't bring my kids up in this environment.'
He believes that anger towards the Israeli government following the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent Gaza War has been misdirected into hatred towards British Jews. The Jewish community in Manchester, the second largest in the UK, has been treated differently, he claims.
'There is so much anger and so much hate,' Mr Finlay told The Times. 'It's become hard to recognise the UK any more, with the [pro-Palestinian] hate marches and the chanting.' He powerfully concluded, 'People being angry at Israel shouldn't turn that into hatred of Jews... actions have consequences. And this sort of terrorist attack is the consequence.'
