A Manchester rabbi has voiced deep concern over growing antisemitism in the UK, saying that many in the city’s Jewish community had long feared an attack like the one that claimed two lives outside a local synagogue.

Speaking to The Independent, Rabbi Shlomie A. said his first reaction to the news of the terror attack was, “Oh wow, we’ve been waiting for this — this is kind of something that’s been expected.”

The victims, 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, were killed outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, reportedly drove into a group of people before stabbing a man. He was later shot dead by police.

Rabbi Shlomie expressed fears that the attack reflects a worsening trend of hostility toward Jews in the UK. “It makes us think, how long do Jews actually have left to live in the UK... it seems to be getting worse and worse,” he said, adding that he has considered moving out of the area or even leaving the country altogether.

The remarks come as authorities increase security around synagogues nationwide, with government officials pledging stronger measures to protect the Jewish community.