London, UK – Antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom reached unprecedented levels in 2023 and the first half of 2024, with a significant surge following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity monitoring antisemitism, reported a record 4,103 anti-Jewish hate incidents in 2023, more than double the figure from 2022 and the highest since data collection began in 1984. This trend continued into 2024, with 1,978 incidents recorded in the first six months, marking the highest January-to-June total ever.
The sharp increase has led to a climate of fear within the Jewish community, as highlighted by social media comments from figures like Ashley Rindsberg. Rindsberg stated in a recent tweet, > "This is England indeed – an England where Jews are attacked on the streets, where Jewish children go to school under guard, where terror attacks on synagogues come in hand over fist, and where, if Jews describe any of this in slightly the wrong way, the police come knocking."
While the CST data confirms a rise in assaults (up 41% in early 2024) and damage/desecration to Jewish property (up 246%), explicit "terror attacks" on synagogues in the UK remain rare, though plots have been foiled. In May 2025, three neo-Nazis were convicted of planning terrorist attacks targeting mosques and synagogues, and a 19-year-old was sentenced in June 2024 for planning a suicide attack on a Brighton synagogue. Synagogues have notably increased security measures, with the government providing additional funding to bolster protection at Jewish sites.
Concerns regarding police response and freedom of expression within the Jewish community have also surfaced. A report commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews in July 2025 highlighted "widespread failures" in addressing anti-Jewish discrimination, including within policing. It called for a more consistent approach by police to antisemitic crimes. This follows instances such as a Jewish man being charged with racial harassment in London for holding an anti-Hezbollah sign, a charge later dropped, which fueled anxieties about expressing views.
The surge in antisemitism is largely attributed to the events in the Middle East, with two-thirds of the 2023 incidents occurring after October 7. The CST noted that the most frequent form of antisemitic rhetoric in 2023 was linked to Israel or the conflict. Political leaders across the spectrum have condemned the rise in anti-Jewish hatred, with calls for robust action against offenders and continued support for the Jewish community's security.