Two Iranian men charged in UK over alleged Yom Kippur plot against Jews

Two men described as Iranian nationals have been charged in Britain with preparing acts of terrorism aimed at the Jewish community in northern England around Yom Kippur, according to London's Metropolitan Police. The Times of Israel reported that police allege the pair had been in contact, in connection with the plot, with a third party outside the country who might be located in Iran.

Haaretz, citing the Metropolitan Police and the Reuters news agency, identified the target as the Jewish community of Greater Manchester. Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that the men are aged 36 and 34. The Jerusalem Post also reported that two Iranian nationals had been charged over an alleged plot against Jews in the UK.

What the men are accused of

The charge described in the reports is engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism. In British law this is an offence that allows prosecutors to act before any attack takes place, covering steps taken towards carrying one out. A charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt, and none of the reports describe what the alleged preparatory steps were.

The Metropolitan Police is the force responsible for policing London. The reports attribute the announcement to it even though the alleged target was outside the capital, in the north of England.

Yom Kippur and Manchester's Jewish community

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn date in the Jewish calendar. It is a day of fasting and prayer, and synagogues are typically at their fullest on its eve and through the day itself. That makes Jewish communal sites a focus of security planning around the holiday in many countries.

Greater Manchester, the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Manchester, is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Britain outside London. Haaretz is the only outlet among those reviewed here to name it as the specific location; The Times of Israel and N12 refer more broadly to northern England.

The Iran connection

The strength of the link to Iran differs between the reports. Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel headline describe the two men as Iranian nationals, and N12 reported they are citizens of Iran. The police allegation as relayed by The Times of Israel is more cautious about the overseas element: the men were in touch with a third party abroad who might be in Iran. The Times of Israel's own headline speaks of possible Iran links. No report states that Iran's government directed the alleged plot, and readers should not take the men's nationality as evidence of state involvement.

Where the accounts differ

Several details are reported differently across the outlets.

• The target. An alert from Ynet, the website of the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, described a plan to attack a synagogue. The other reports refer more generally to the Jewish community or to Jews in the region and do not mention a synagogue.
• The timing. The Times of Israel and Haaretz describe the alleged plot as targeting the community on the eve of Yom Kippur. N12 reported instead that the two men were arrested on the eve of Yom Kippur. These accounts are not necessarily in conflict, but the reports do not make clear whether the eve of the holiday refers to the planned attack, the arrests, or both.
• The location. Haaretz names Greater Manchester; others say northern England.

What the reports do not say

The reports reviewed here leave a number of basic questions unanswered. They do not name the two men. Their ages come from N12 alone. None of them state when or where the men were arrested beyond N12's reference to the eve of Yom Kippur, or when they are due to appear in court.

The reports do not identify the third party abroad, explain how police believe the men communicated with that person, or say what evidence underlies the suggestion that this person may be in Iran. They do not describe any weapons, materials or specific plans, and they do not say whether any other people have been arrested or are being sought. There is no response reported from the men, their lawyers, the Iranian government or Jewish community organisations in Manchester.

The Ynet item was a brief alert pointing to a fuller story, and The Jerusalem Post material available consisted mainly of a headline, so neither added detail beyond the core claim. The account above rests chiefly on the police statement as reported by The Times of Israel and Haaretz.