UK antisemitism reaches record high in first half of 2024, according to new report

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Almost 2,000 cases of verified antisemitism were recorded in the first half of 2024, according to a new report released Thursday by the UK’s Community Security Trust (CST).

With over 200 incidents per month, the figures for the period between January-June were the highest ever recorded and reflect a shocking spike in anti-Jewish sentiment following the brutal Hamas invasion and terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

Surpassing the figures from the same period in 2023 by more than double, the 1,978 reported cases so far this year include: 1,618 instances of abusive behavior, 142 threats, 121 assaults and 83 instances of damage and desecration. Of these, a whopping 630 cases of abuse took place online.

Discussions related to the Middle East were present in 70% of the 630 online incidents. In contrast, such discourse appeared in only 585 (43%) of the 1,348 non-internet related incidents.

“The surge in online antisemitism is partly a result of the war in Gaza and the subsequent proliferation of dialogue, debate, information and disinformation on social media platforms, which sometimes slip into anti-Jewish hate,” the CST explained.

Against the backdrop of current anti-immigration riots and counter protests in Great Britain, including the display Palestinian flags, the CST has captured demographic data showing an “atypical majority of incident offenders to be non-white, suggesting that the sustained high volume of anti-Jewish hate over the start of 2024 has come from parts of the population that do not usually form the bulk of antisemitic incident perpetrators, and who have been motivated to act in response to the conflict in the Middle East."

“The rise of antisemitic incidents in the UK is deeply concerning,” British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, posted on 𝕏. The newly elected leader is expediting jail time for hundreds of rioters he has branded ‘far-right’, but not for any antisemitic crimes.

“Jewish people, and all those from faith communities, deserve to feel safe on our streets,” he added.

At the six-month mark of 2023, CST records showed 964 antisemitic incidents. By the end of the year, this number had surged to a record high of 4,103, with approximately two-thirds taking place after Oct. 7.

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking at the CST annual dinner in February, stated: “Don’t let anyone try and tell you this is just a reaction to the response of the Israeli government – as unacceptable as that would be.”

“The highest weekly total of antisemitic incidents came before Israel responded… It is hatred, pure and simple," Sunak added.

“When Jewish children are hiding their school uniforms, Jewish students are facing harassment on campuses, the birth certificates of Jewish children are being defaced and Jewish families feel unable to enter the centre of our capital city at the weekend, the whole fabric of our nation is under threat.”

Instances of antisemitism affecting schoolchildren and staff at schools rose by 119%, from 74 incidents in the first half of last year to a record 162 in the first half of 2024.

The starkest statistic of all is the 465% increase in anti-Jewish hate incidents within higher education, following earlier warnings this year of “significant problems” at British universities.

There were 96 antisemitic incidents reported in which the victims or offenders were students or academics, or which involved student unions or societies, compared to just 17 instances in the first half of 2023.

Click here to listen to Paul Calvert's interview earlier this year with Danny Stone of the UK's Antisemitism Policy Trust, who works with universities and politicians.