Nearly 900 reported in first six months, with a third involving social media, says Jewish trust

A record number of antisemitic incidents has been recorded in the UK for the first six months of this year by the Community Security Trust.

There were 892 reported incidents between January and June, a 10% increase on the same period of 2018 – which also had a record high – said the CST, a charity that monitors antisemitism and provides security for the British Jewish community.

More than a third of the incidents involved social media, again a significantly higher proportion than in 2018. The CST said the data was likely to understate the scale of the problem, as campaigns directed at individuals could comprise hundreds or even thousands of tweets, images or posts within a concentrated timespan, but be recorded by the trust as a single incident.

“This is the third year in a row that CST has seen an increase in reports of antisemitic incidents,” said David Delew, the trust’s chief executive. “The problem is spreading across the country and online. It reflects deepening divisions in our society and it is causing increasing anxiety in the Jewish community. It will take people of all communities and backgrounds standing together to turn this tide of hate around.”

Almost two-thirds of the incidents took place in Greater London and Greater Manchester, home to the two largest Jewish populations in the UK. But there was a fall of about 1% in incidents in those two areas, whereas in other places, in Hertfordshire, Merseyside, Gateshead, Leeds, Birmingham and Wales, the trust recorded an increase.

The number of violent antisemitic assaults rose from 62 in the first half of 2018 to 85 in the same period of 2019. None were classified by the CST as “extreme violence”.

Antisemitic incidents in UK at record high for third year in a row Read more

There were 38 incidents of damage and desecration of Jewish property; 710 of abusive behaviour, including verbal abuse, graffiti, abuse via social media and one-off cases of hate mail; 49 direct threats; and 10 cases of mass-mailed leaflets or emails.

Sixty-two public figures became targets, as well as 102 Jewish community organisations, events and commercial premises.

The highest monthly totals were in February and March, with 182 and 169 incidents respectively. These were months when issues relating to Jews and antisemitism were prominent because of the continuing controversy over antisemitism in the Labour party, the CST said.

In those two months, the trust recorded 55 incidents specifically related to allegations of antisemitism in the Labour party.

Q&A What is the IHRA working definition of antisemitism? Show Hide In 2016 the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) agreed this working definition of antisemitism: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." The IHRA definition goes on to state: "Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for 'why things go wrong'. It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits." The IHRA provides the following as examples of antisemitism: Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.



Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.



Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.



Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).



Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.



Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.



Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.



Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.



Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.



Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.



Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.



Highlighting the number of incidents relating to alleged antisemitism in the Labour party, Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “This makes shameful reading for the party’s leadership. They must finally take the steps required to rid their party of this appalling racism. Defeating the evil of antisemitism will take a concerted effort by the country’s political leadership and civil society to ensure that this country remains a safe and happy place for the Jewish community.”

The trust has been recording antisemitic incidents since 1984, and it has shared its data with the National Police Chiefs’ Council since 2015.

Mark Hamilton of the NPCC said: “It can never be acceptable to abuse someone because of their ethnicity or religion, but we see that there are still far too many in our society who are prepared to act illegally, fuelled by global events, divisions in our own society, or by bigoted ideologies. The police will continue to improve our services to victims and to help bring offenders to justice.”