The number of British Jews leaving the UK and seeking a new life in Israel has risen seven percent on last year’s figures, mirroring a sharp increase in Russian Jews also fleeing Europe.

Overall, Israel saw the arrival of 18,965 immigrants under its Law of Return for Jews and their relatives, or olim, in the first eight months of 2018 compared to 19,067 in the same period last year, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Immigration to Israel from Russia soared to 6,331 newcomers in the same period compared to 4,701. The number from the UK rose by seven percent to 371 newcomers on the back of increased reports of those leaving seeking sanctuary from open displays of anti-Semitism.

The surge in numbers was first identified in 2016 when Israel reported a doubling in numbers of those seeking sanctuary in the Jewish state.

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The number of Jews leaving Europe for Israel has been slowly increasing for the last 15 years, but in 2014 the number doubled, and in 2015 it rose again.

In 2017, one in three British Jews were reported to be so fearful of anti-Semitic attacks they have considered moving abroad, and four in five believed that the Labour Party harbours anti-Semites in its ranks.

The Antisemitism Barometer, conducted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) in partnership with YouGov, found that those considering leaving the UK due to anti-Semitism rose from 28 per cent in 2015 to 31 per cent two years later.

This is despite a fall in anti-Semitic attitudes amongst the British public, according to the study.