UK

Antisemitism in UK trebles in year since Hamas attacks on Israel

The majority of incidents were recorded in London and most took the form of abusive behaviour, the Community Security Trust said.

The Community Security Trust said it had recorded the highest ever total of antisemitic incidents in the 12 months since October 7
The Community Security Trust said it had recorded the highest ever total of antisemitic incidents in the 12 months since October 7 (Alamy Stock Photo)
By Aine Fox, PA Social Affairs Correspondent

A Jewish charity said it has recorded more than 5,500 antisemitic incidents in the UK in the year since the Hamas attacks on Israel.

The Community Security Trust (CST) said the 5,583 incidents recorded between October 7 2023 and September 30 is the highest total of any 12-month period.

The figure is three times that of the previous 12-month period, which saw 1,830 incidents recorded in total.

The charity, which monitors antisemitism and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain, said most incidents took the form of abusive behaviour (4,583), while others involved threats (401) or assault (302).

One incident of what it described as extreme violence was recorded.

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The majority of incidents were recorded in London (3,167), while 729 were recorded in Manchester and 246 in West Yorkshire.

There were 1,400 incidents in October 2023 alone, the charity said, and more than 200 have been recorded every month since then.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to fight the “resurgence of antisemitism”.

In a speech at a Holocaust Education Trust appeal dinner last month, he said his Government “will not shy away from this”, adding: “We will not be silent. We will not look the other way.”

He told those in attendance: “We will call out antisemitism for what it is: hatred pure and simple.

“And we will fight this with everything that we have got. Just as I fought to bring my party back from the abyss of antisemitism, I promise you I will do the same in leading the country.”

He also pledged to make sure every child in England learns about the Holocaust by making it a mandatory topic in schools and committed to allocating £2.2 million to the Lessons From Auschwitz project.

The project offers students and teachers a course to increase understanding of the Holocaust, including a visit to the Nazi concentration camp in Poland and hearing the first-hand experiences of survivors.