King Charles issued a warning against the “ghastliness” of social media during today's visit to Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
On October 2, two Jewish men were killed by Jihad al-Shamie during a car ramming and stabbing attack at the synagogue on Yom Kippur.
A little over two weeks after the deadly terrorist attack, the King travelled to Manchester to pay his respects and meet Chief Rabbi Daniel Walker.
Speaking to faith leaders, Charles said: “The terrible thing is [it’s] so much the thing of the ghastliness of social media.
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“It’s very hard,” he said, adding that we must “deradicalise people”.
Rabbi Walker told His Majesty: “We’re in the presence of heroes, every single person, they’re all special.”
When he met members of the congregation, the King said: “Terrible thing to come out of the blue.”
King Charles later shook hands with Alan Levy, who was one of a dozen people who helped to barricade the synagogue during the attack.
King speaks out on ‘ghastliness’ of social media after visiting Manchester synagogue terror attack site
|GETTY
Mr Levy, chairman of the Trustees of Heaton Park, told the King: “Thank you so much for your support, we so much appreciate it.”
Asked what today’s visit has done for the Jewish community, Mr Levy told the Telegraph: “It’s just incalculable.
“It’s certainly uplifted our community, certainly the people who were injured, who were there, the people who were barricading the doors.
“We all spoke to him and he just uplifted everybody, just giving us a sense of warmth.”
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The King met members of the community, including some of those who were present during the October 2nd attack
| GETTYAfter the terrorist attack, Jihad al-Shamie dialled 999 and said: “I have killed two Jews in the name of the Islamic State.”
Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, died during the attack, while four others were injured.
It is understood one of these two victims died by police gunfire “as a tragic and unforeseen consequence” of officers trying to stop the attacker.
King Charles appeared moved when viewing the flowers and messages left by the public outside the synagogue.
King Charles during his visit to Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester | PAHe then joined police officers, fire officers and ambulance staff at the Greater Manchester Police headquarters, where he thanked them for their response to the attack.
King Charles said: “Thank God we’ve got you. I’m very grateful to you.”
By meeting worshippers and survivors of the attack, the King appeared to be showing solidarity with the Jewish community amid rising antisemitism.