Killings, Thursday 2nd October, 2025

The front-page headline in today's Guardian (3rd October) reads "Terrorist kills two people at Manchester synagogue."

The rest of the front page is devoted to a picture of the attacker, partly obscured by a Venetian blind, and further details of the story.  Four other people were badly injured, the attack took place on Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day of the year for Jews. The Prime Minister has returned early from meeting, described the killer as a "vile individual," spoken to the nation from Downing Street and called an emergency meeting of COBRA ( which actually stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A). 

The following six full pages are devoted to further pictures, details and comment on the event.

It is not until page 27 of today's Guardian that we learn, in an article at he bottom right-hand side of the page, taking up about a third of it, that on that same day, yesterday, Thursday 2nd October,   "At least 53 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Gaza..  Some of the airstrikes were carried out in a safe  zone, in which "at least nine Palestinians  were killed, inducing  a father, his sons and grandson, when the Israeli military struck a food store."  In a refugee camp in central Gaza, "four siblings were killed  while collecting firewood" and in another area nine people "mostly women" died when an Israeli strike hit a house. 

 Naturally, although I don't actually know any of the victims I feel very sorry for all 55 whose lives have been cut short, the others who were injured,  and sympathise with their grieving friends and relatives. 

I'd like to think that all the perpetrators of these evils will be brought to justice.

 Even more so I’d like to see a change in our reaction to evil.  I'd like to see a more balanced concern towards  evil perpetrated on both sides, and,  if the sides cannot quite respond with love and forgiveness, at least they  "do a Mandela" and find a practical way forward towards mutual tolerance.