Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday night slammed the "barbaric" attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, and suggested that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's "weakness" breeds terrorism.
"Israel grieves with the Jewish community in the U.K. after the barbaric terror attack in Manchester. Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded," said Netanyahu.
"As I warned at the U.N.: Weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it," he added.
Starmer last month recognized a Palestinian state, a move that Jerusalem condemned as rewarding terrorism in the aftermath of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Thursday also slammed the terrorist attack on Yom Kippur. He called on the British government to combat "rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement."
"My deepest condolences go to the families who have lost their loved ones, and I wish a swift and full recovery to the injured," tweeted Sa'ar, who expressed solidarity with the Jewish community in Britain, noting that it is facing a "horrific wave" of Jew-hatred.
"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," continued Sa'ar.
"The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist," he added, while urging more than just words from Starmer's government.
"We expect and demand a change of course, effective action and enforcement against the rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain," said Sa'ar.
This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.