The first half of this year was the worst six-month period for antisemitism on record, a chastening report by the Community Security Trust has revealed.   

Anti-Jewish hate between January and June surged by 105 per cent from the same period last year and was 44 per cent higher than the previous half a year.

In total, 1,978 antisemitic incidents were reported to the CST from January to June.

The figure is more than double the 964 incidents recorded from the same time last year and is the largest number reported to the charity in the first six months of a year since it started keeping records in 1984.

Incidents occurred across various settings, including schools, universities, workplaces, public transport, places of worship, on the streets and online. Although most instances happened in places with the highest number of Jews, antisemitism was reported across the country.

The staggering rise is partially attributed to the war in the Middle East, with over half (1,026 or 52 per cent) of the incidents linked to Israel, Palestine, Hamas or the war.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the level of antisemitism as “truly appalling,” stating, “There is no place in Britain for this vile hatred and we are absolutely clear that those who push this poison – on the streets or online –must always face the full force of the law.”

Cooper acknowledged the CST’s vital role, thanking them for its “tireless daily work to keep our Jewish communities safe.”

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “It can never be right British Jews could be concerned for their safety on the streets of modern Britain.”

He assured support for the CST, saying: “My support, and our party’s support, for the Jewish community and for the vital work of the CST is as strong as ever.”

The report detailed 186 incidents where comparisons were made between Israel or Jews and Nazis. References to Hitler, the Nazis, or the Holocaust were made in 500 incidents (25 per cent of the total). Additionally, 836 incidents (42 per cent) were both anti-Zionist and antisemitic, with “Zionism” or “Zionist” often used as euphemisms for “Jewishness” or “Jew”.

There were 1,618 abusive incidents, up 104 per cent from the 792 reported in the same period in 2023. Threats, including direct threats and incitement to violence, increased by 158 per cent to 142 reports, the highest ever for this category.

In one example reported to the CST, staff at a Holocaust memorial organisation were sent an email in February that threatened the extermination of Jewish people. The message read: “I have come back to exterminate the Jews... collectively you are, without question and by a wide margin, the worst thing that has ever happened in the entire history of the universe. And there will never be this level of evil ever again, anywhere in the universe. Even your wretched Torah is a practical joke played on you by God, that’s how much God hates you.”

“When You Become What You Once Hated” written on a wall in London with a swastika drawn inside a Star of David, June (CST)

There were 121 incidents of assault recorded, an increase from the 86 incidents of this kind in the first six months of 2023. In 26 incidents, the offender threw eggs, stones, bricks, bottles or other objects at the victim and in 25 attacks, the victim was punched or kicked, while in 19 cases, the victim was spat at. In 16 attacks, the perpetrator stripped the victim of religious clothes or accessories; on five occasions, the offender fired a non-lethal gun at the victim; one incident involved a knife; and on one occasion, a vehicle was used to physically endanger pedestrians.

One incident of extreme violence involving alleged arson at a residential property was reported.

The CST also reported a significant rise in antisemitism in schools and universities. Thirty incidents occurred at Jewish schools, with another 51 involving Jewish pupils away from school, often visibly Jewish due to their uniforms. Non-faith schools saw 81 incidents, another record high.

In February, a girl at a non-Jewish school in Kent was abused by classmates who called her a “dirty Jew”, said “Heil Hitler” to her, and added her to a WhatsApp group titled “Holocaust.”

Universities saw 96 incidents involving students or academics, marking a 465 per cent increase from the 17 incidents reported in the same period in 2023. Of these, 44 occurred on campus or university property, and 45 were online. Seventy-three per cent of these incidents involved discourse related to Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East, disproportionately higher than the 52 per cent of incidents that were not linked to the higher education sphere.

Synagogues were targeted in 76 incidents, affecting buildings, congregants, and staff, marking a 148 per cent increase from 46 to 114 reports, the highest ever recorded in the first half of a year. In one April incident, a synagogue in southern England was attacked by a vandal who smashed two stained glass windows with a plant pot late at night.

CST Chief Executive, Mark Gardner, said: “The disgraceful surge in British antisemitism is further evidenced by these latest figures... We note that whilst such hatreds may target Jews first, they quickly turn upon others also. CST will continue its steadfast protection of our British Jewish communities, driven by our values of “Community”, “Security” and “Trust”. CST applauds our community’s ever-increasing determination to stand strong and proud, despite the hatred, vilification and blatant double standards that we too often face, including from many who perversely call themselves anti-racists.”

HM Government’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, Lord Mann, said of the report: “The ongoing situation in the Middle East continues to have a profound impact on the British Jewish community. We have seen rising levels of antisemitism infiltrating all areas of society, manifesting in new ways designed to hurt Jewish people in all walks of life. This only highlights the crucial nature of CST’s work.”

All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism Chair, Joani Reid MP, added: “If antisemitism is an indicator of the health of our democracy, this is a worrying sign indeed. These statistics underline not only the shocking and unacceptable level of anti-Jewish racism in the UK but the scale of the task ahead of us. We have a new government and a new parliament, we now need a renewed effort, from every party, to tackle this scourge.