In the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict, Manchester – a city with a large Jewish and Muslim population – is feeling the impact of the conflict. The global Jewish community is relatively small, with only 16 million members, which means that many in the UK know people in Israel. On Wednesday, around 1,500 people came together in St. Peter’s Square for a vigil, with Israeli flags and placards of the deceased. While there were palpable concerns about a potential increase in hate crimes against Jewish people, the vigil was largely characterised by a strong sense of solidarity.
Many in Manchester believe that every Jew shares a common bond, stemming from their shared history and trauma. This sense of connection has fostered fruitful relationships between the Jewish and Muslim communities in the city. Talat Ali, an IT worker who once worked with aid organisations in Gaza, expressed concern for his Jewish friends in Manchester, just as he had also tried to contact Palestinians he knows in Gaza to check if they were safe. However, some Muslims in Manchester are now nervous about expressing concern for Palestine, fearing that this could be misconstrued as anti-Jewish.
Several attendees at the vigil talked about the mistrust of media coverage of the conflict, which they feel has pushed people towards one side or the other. Zara Mohammed, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, has received reports of hate crimes targeting mosques and antisemitism against Jews. Still, most people in diverse cities like Manchester want to get along, and relationships between different communities remain strong.
In the coming weeks, these relationships may be put to the test. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a pressing concern, and while most people agree that this is not a situation pitting Jews against Muslims, there are fears about the potential for acts of hate. Despite this, conversations between different communities can still be constructive, as long as people refrain from taking sides
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