News
Primary school children are saying they 'hate all Jews', says security group
CST's northern director reveals 'abhorrent' abuse among young children
November 21, 2023 08:51
CST's northern director reveals 'abhorrent' abuse among young children
November 21, 2023 08:51A director of the Community Security Trust has said some primary school children have been telling Jewish classmates they “hate all Jews”.
Amanda Bomsztyk, the northern regional director of the Jewish security group, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re having children, as young as junior schools, where they’re having fellow pupils come over to them asking which side they’re on.
“When they say that they’re Jewish, they’re telling them they hate all Jews. This is primary school-age children, so it’s quite abhorrent.”
CST said that in Greater Manchester, reports of antisemitism had risen 880 per cent, with 226 incidents recorded since Hamas’s October 7 atrocities.
Across the UK, the number of antisemitic incidents reported to CST in the month following October 7 surged by over 500 per cent year on year, with dozens of assaults and more than 100 threats recorded.
In total 1,124 antisemitic incidents were reported to CST in the month to 7 November according to data released by the group – the largest number since the charity began keeping records in 1984.
The latest national figures, released a week ago, marks a 514 per cent increase from same period in 2022 when 183 incidents were reported.
Overall there were 55 assaults, 112 threats and 880 instances of abusive behaviour, including verbal abuse, graffiti, damage to or desecration of property, hate mail and online abuse.