Starmer slammed after synagogue attack as ex-soldier accuses PM of 'pandering to Hamas'

A former British Army officer's fundraiser in the wake of Thursday's terror attack at a Manchester synagogue smashed its target within hours of going live. But Andrew Fox also launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour colleagues, accusing them of failing to take a proper moral stand against terrorism.

Mr Fox, a former Parachute Regiment officer with three Afghanistan tours under his belt, set up the appeal as a means of showing solidarity with the UK's Jewish community after the atrocity, in which three people, including the attacker, later named as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, were killed. The 38-year-old PhD student and advocate for the Jewish community, who is now a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, launched the GoFundMe page late on Thursday afternoon. The page initially aimed to raise £3,000 for the Community Security Trust (CST), the charity that provides security to Britain's Jews - but by early evening, donations had soared past that total, with contributions pouring in from across the UK and beyond, according to the platform.

As of 5.30am on Friday, the total stood at £6,470 and rising. Speaking to the Daily Express, hours after the horrifying rampage, Mr Fox described the fundraiser as a "tangible way" for the public to demonstrate support for those protecting Jewish sites and individuals.

Mr Fox laid bare the emotional toll, saying: "The saddest thing about all of this is that when it happened... I wasn't surprised.

"I've got a lot of Jewish friends. I've been very active with the Jewish community since October 7. They've been telling me that they want to move to Israel, that they don't feel welcome in the UK anymore.

"I've seen first-hand the amount of security Jewish events needs to even take place, even if that's just a normal Friday, Saturday synagogue service. This has been coming for two years."

Mr Fox reserved his sharpest criticism for Sir Keir and the Government, accusing it of fuelling the hate.

He said: "I'm furious with our Government for pandering to the blood libels that have been pumped around the world by Hamas about Gaza, and this is the direct result of our Government pandering to these people, rather than taking a proper moral stand."

He explained: "A donation to the people who protect them on a weekly, daily basis is the best way to show them we stand with them." The page's description emphasises the CST's role in physical security, victim support, and policy work on hate crimes, stating: "After the horrific, murderous attack good people must show their support."

Greater Manchester Police were called to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Middleton Road, Crumpsall, at around 9.30am, following reports of a vehicle collision and stabbings during Yom Kippur services.

A man in his 30s drove a saloon car into a group of worshippers who were queued outside the building before exiting and launching a knife attack, targeting a CST-trained security guard who attempted to intervene.

The horror rampage, the deadliest against Jews in Britain for decades, unfolded on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, as families in prayer shawls prepared for atonement prayers.

Armed officers arrived within minutes and shot the suspect once, killing him at the scene after he refused to drop the weapon.

Counter-terrorism police have classified the incident as terrorism, with no motive yet confirmed but investigations focusing on potential Islamist extremism amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7.

The murderer did not breach the synagogue, thanks to the guard's actions and worshippers' quick response, police said.

The UK Government has not suggested the attack was part of a wider plot, although posting on X, journalist Amit Segal said: "The assessment in Israel is that Hamas directed the antisemitic terror attack in Manchester."

As a former airborne infantry officer who researches conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, Mr Fox has marched with Jewish survivors and hosted podcasts amplifying their voices, turning personal outrage into public action.

The attack left five people injured, three of them seriously, all of whom are being treated at North Manchester General Hospital.

Families were notified swiftly, and the CST provided immediate pastoral support, with volunteers assisting behind the police cordon. Middleton Road remained sealed into the evening, forensic teams examining the crumpled vehicle and bloodied pavement under floodlights, as candles and flowers accumulated at the barriers.

Political condemnation was swift. Prime Minister Sir Keir called the attack "appalling" on X, vowing: "We will not tolerate antisemitism in any form." Home Secretary Yvette Cooper echoed his words, saying: "My heart goes out to the victims."

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, speaking on BBC Radio Manchester, described it as a "serious incident" on "this day of all days," thanking responders.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews hailed the CST's "heroic" role, while chief executive Mark Gardner noted the charity's patrols had logged over 4,100 incidents last year alone.

Mr Fox acknowledged the fundraiser's limits - "even though the total raised will be just a drop in the ocean" - but stressed its symbolic power.

He said: "The point is that the Jewish people in the UK will see it and realise how many people value them.

"There's a silent majority out there that feel really strongly about this."

With donations still climbing, the GoFundMe appeal underscores a public backlash against rising hate, as Jewish sites nationwide ramp up security for the remainder of Yom Kippur. Police urged witnesses to come forward, while the CST advised vigilance, warning of copycat risks.