CST: U.K. Records Worst Year for Antisemitism After Outbreak of Hamas War

By Hamodia Staff

In the aftermath of the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, the U.K. witnessed a surge in antisemitic incidents, reaching a total of 4,103 for the year 2023, the Community Security Trust (CST) said Thursday.

This marks the highest number since 1984, when the CST began recording such data.

The incidents, including threats, hate speech, violence, and damage to Jewish institutions, more than doubled compared to the previous year.

Two-thirds of these incidents occurred after Oct. 7. The CST suggests that the initial rise in antisemitic incidents may have been a response to Hamas’s attacks rather than a reaction to Israel’s military reprisals in Gaza.

The CST chief executive, Mark Gardner, condemned the increasing hatred against the Jewish community and noted a “stony silence” from parts of society regarding this issue. The CST recorded 266 cases of violent assaults, an all-time high, with half occurring in areas with significant Jewish communities.

The U.K. government allocated an additional £3 million ($3.8 million) in funding for the CST, and the Metropolitan Police in London pledged stronger action against hate crimes linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, making over 400 related arrests as of the last month. The previous record for antisemitic incidents in Britain was in 2021, driven by increased violence in Israel and Gaza.

While 31% of antisemitic incidents were recorded online, the CST believes the actual amount of anti-Jewish content on online platforms is much higher.