EastEnders star 'deeply traumatised' after Manchester synagogue attack as she steps up security

Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman has said Jewish people have been left "deeply traumatised" by the Manchester synagogue attack on Thursday in which two people died.

The 59-year-old said she had friends who attend the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where the incident took place, who "watched it unfold live from the window". Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, have been named as the victims. 

Mr Daulby was helping hold the doors of the synagogue shut to stop the attacker from entering, but was hit by police gunfire "as a tragic and unforeseen consequence" as officers shot the attacker, Greater Manchester Police said.

The suspect, who was shot dead at the scene, has been named as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. It's since been reported he was on bail for an alleged rape at the time of the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Three men are still in hospital after the car and knife attack. While four people remain in custody in connection with the incident after police were granted extra time to question them.

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Speaking out on the tragedy, Tracey, best known for playing Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap and is Jewish herself, said she now has to "have security constantly" while working on theatre projects over fears she could be attacked herself.

She shared: "I have to say that we are frightened, we are deeply traumatised by what happened, and we are beginning to feel very angry.

"Because we have been saying for the past two years that this was not just a possibility. It wasn't a case of if it was going to happen, it was a case of when it was going to happen."

She continued: "We have told this Government before, this one and the Government that are in charge now, that we have been intimidated and frightened by relentless antisemitism for two years, growing up as a Jew in this country.

"And it's been completely normalised all of my life. Every synagogue, every Jewish school, every Jewish art centre that you go into, any Jewish event, you have had to have security - lots of security - because of the continuing death threats.

"So that is normalised, but the last two years has seen it go up to a whole other level."

Oberman said she believed "free speech is everything", but said it "gets to a point where free speech and intimidation, and incitement, which goes against the law, has to be tackled".

She said: "Antisemitism is the oldest hatred, and while, of course, legitimate concern and care, and vocalising pain and wanting a better future for Palestinians, and the end of the war in Gaza cannot be conflated and must never be mixed in with anti-Jewish vernacular. And that is what we have seen a rise of, and it has absolutely contributed to what happened the other day."

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