Manchester rabbi: ‘Terrorist’s worldview was shaped by demonisation of Israel’

“We have to acknowledge that the root of that hate is definitely in the demonisation of Israel.”

Recounting how he witnessed the terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie shout “They are killing our kids” during the attack, Walker said: “The first thing that occurred to me was the ridiculousness of suggesting that two of the nicest people they're ever going to meet, Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, would ever harm a fly. They never killed anyone's kids, [they were] the loveliest, most wonderful people.”

He added: “It comes from the language of ‘genocide’, the language of condemnation.”

Discussing the death threat he received prior to the attack, he said he had dismissed it at the time: “A few months ago, someone left a message on my machine telling me to get out of Manchester. They don't like my types around here, I support genocide.

“I laughed it off; I’m not laughing anymore.”

The rabbi continued: “We have to challenge that hatred. We have to challenge that language. We have to find ways to make political points in a reasonable way without inserting hate and discrimination into the conversation. Until we do that, we're not going to feel safe.”

He went on to say that he did not believe antisemitism was taken seriously enough across Europe: “I think a lot of people would like to think they take it seriously, but our lived experience is that it hasn't been taken seriously enough. It sometimes feels to me as if it's the only racism which is okay.”

Walker also opened up about how the act of terror committed at his shul had left his daughter “really quite traumatised”.

“She wants things to go back to normal. To be honest, the normal which is her normal, isn't good enough.

“I don't want my daughter to have to go to school behind big gates and with guards outside.

“It's not okay. She might be used to it, but I refuse to get used to it”, the rabbi said.

He concluded by expressing his wish that “if anything good can happen” in the wake of the attack, it would be that antisemitism is now “taken seriously in the UK and in Europe”.

Johnson, who was due to receive an award from EJA in recognition of his “steadfast stand against antisemitism, his unwavering support for Jewish communities, and his enduring friendship with the State of Israel” described Walker as “an amazingly brave man”, adding that “he should not have been required to show such bravery in his own synagogue".

The former prime minister also attacked politicians who he accused of creating an equivalence between Israel and Hamas and criticised the BBC’s coverage of the conflict between Israel and the terrorist group.

He also accused Labour of allowing the comparison of Israel and Hamas as equivalents – which he labelled “absolute nonsense” – to take root in the UK and criticised the suspension of some arms sales to Israel as well as the decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state.

Johnson argued the decision wouldn’t “deliver anything” for Palestinian people and claimed Britain had “pointlessly [thrown] away an important UK-European negotiating card.”

He added: “Those are some things that I would not have done”.

Johnson also urged European leaders to acknowledge it is a “blessing” to have Jewish communities in their countries.

"Politicians need to recognise the blessing it is to have a community of brilliant people who add massively to the attractiveness of life in your city – and make them feel safe,” he said.

Politicians across Europe need to “realise quite what is at stake,” he added.

"There’s quite a big exodus now, I’m sad to say, of all types of people – and that needs to stop."