Britain experienced its second-worst year for antisemitism in 2024, with over 3,500 incidents reported, highlighting persistent hostility towards Jews, according to a new report by the Community Security Trust (CST), the Jewish organization responsible for advising communities on security.
Britain has seen unprecedented levels of antisemitic attacks since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Although the number of cases in 2024 dropped by 18% compared to the previous year, the total of 3,528 incidents remained significantly higher than the annual figures recorded before the recent Middle East conflict, said the CST report, quoted by the Reuters news agency.
According to CST’s annual report, 260 antisemitic incidents were linked to schools, 223 targeted synagogues and their congregants, and 1,240 involved online anti-Jewish hate.
In response to the crisis, the previous government pledged to raise funding for CST to £18 million to help safeguard Jewish institutions, including schools and synagogues—a commitment ministers confirmed would continue.
"We welcome the defiance and pride that our community has shown, despite everything it has been through," said CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner, as quoted by Reuters. "Those who are complicit in this antisemitism range from social media giants to the Islamist and far left extremists who celebrated the Hamas terror attacks."
Incidents of antisemitism in Britain in recent months include an incident in November, when a woman set fire to an Israeli flag at a venue hosting an event for Jewish university students.
Last May, a woman carrying a large knife was arrested in Stamford Hill, north London.
The woman allegedly told a Jewish man that he is a "provocation" before adding, "You people, you Jewish...all the trouble you’re creating in the world."
A month earlier, a Jewish man was attacked by four men in Stamford Hill. According to the Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish civilian watch organization, the four individuals approached the Jewish man, threatened him, and demanded he get into the trunk of their car.
Several days before that, two men were arrested at a pro-Palestinian Arab march in London. One of the men was taken into custody for carrying a swastika emblazoned placard and another for allegedly making racist remarks towards counter-protesters, the Metropolitan Police said.
