British Jewish groups to hold London vigil for victims of 7 October attacks

People pay their respects at the vigil in central London on Wednesday afternoon. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The GuardianView image in fullscreenPeople pay their respects at the vigil in central London on Wednesday afternoon. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The GuardianBritish Jewish groups hold London vigil for victims of 7 October attacksOrganisations honour those who died three years ago as Andy Burnham says government stands with British Jews

British Jewish organisations gathered in central London on Wednesday for a vigil honouring victims of the 7 October attacks in Israel, after a day of tributes from politicians and community leaders.

The vigil took place at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “Three years ago, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdering 1,200 men, women and children, injuring thousands and taking 251 people captive. May their memories for ever remain a blessing.”

The Jewish Leadership Council said 7 October 2023 had been “the deadliest day for our people since the Holocaust”.

The attacks were followed by Israel’s war in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll in the past three years exceeded 74,000 last month, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Andy Burnham assured British Jews “we stand with you” against antisemitism, in a statement marking the anniversary.

However, the Israeli embassy said in a statement: “It is a source of deep sadness that in the years since 7 October the position of the British government towards Israel has changed so substantially from the solidarity expressed in those first days,” claiming “the atmosphere for Jewish people continues to worsen” in the UK.

Last month the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, announced an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism, said its research showed there were 1,926 antisemitic incidents recorded across the UK from January to June 2026, up by a fifth on the first half of last year. It was the second highest total reported to the CST in the first six months of any year, exceeded only by the 2,019 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024.

View image in fullscreenThe UK’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, and Angela Rayner, the communities secretary, at the vigil in central London. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesCelebrations of Jewish life have been continuing in public spaces. From 27 September to 2 October, the Jewish festival of Sukkot was celebrated in the heart of Manchester, with the Sukkah in the City event in Albert Square.

In his statement, the prime minister described the rise in antisemitic behaviour in the UK since 2023 as “disturbing” and pledged that his government was “committed to protecting our citizens from vile hatred”.

Burnham referenced an attack just over a year ago, on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, by Jihad al-Shamie, 35, at Heaton Park Hebrew congregation synagogue in Manchester, which left two worshippers dead.

Melvin Cravitz, 66, died from stab wounds and his fellow worshipper Adrian Daulby, 53, was killed by a bullet fired by armed police as he blocked the synagogue doors from Al-Shamie. Police shot al-Shamie dead during the attack.

Burnham said: “Three years on from the 7 October attacks on Israel, we remember those who were senselessly killed by Hamas terrorists. The impact of the attacks has been felt not just in Israel, but in Jewish communities across the world who still bear the burden of the tragic events that day.

“In the years since, we have seen a disturbing rise in antisemitic behaviour in the UK. I want Britain’s Jewish community to hear this from me directly: we stand with you. Abuse and violence against you, in any form, will not be tolerated. Not on our streets, not online, not in our schools or universities.

“That’s why we are funding protection for synagogues, schools and community buildings, and why we will come down hard on antisemitism wherever it is found – in classrooms, on campuses and in neighbourhoods.”

He continued: “At home, we are committed to protecting our citizens from vile hatred. Abroad, we continue to work towards a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side in peace and security.

“An attack on Jewish people in Britain is an attack on all of us. Antisemitism has no place in this country, and we will do everything we can to stamp it out.”

View image in fullscreenProtesters outside the University of Edinburgh’s Main Library on Wednesday. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PAMeanwhile, the Metropolitan police said they had “imposed stringent conditions” on those taking part in a pro-Palestine student march in London on Wednesday.

Eleven people were arrested in the capital, including five on suspicion of inciting racial hatred at a protest outside the office of the Board of Deputies of British Jews in north London, the force said.

It said the other arrests were made at pro-Palestinian student protests elsewhere in London.

Pro-Palestine protesters also held demonstrations at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities.

Hundreds of people gathered for a rally outside George Square in Edinburgh, outside the University of Edinburgh’s Main Library. From there they marched to the Bayes Centre, the university’s hub for data science and artificial intelligence, before finishing in the Old College quadrangle.

A similar demonstration was held on Library Hill in Glasgow, outside the university library.

Protesters at both rallies carried Palestinian flags and banners, many bearing slogans about the conflict in Gaza.