According to figures from some of the UK’s largest police forces, antisemitic hate crimes increased significantly in the month following the Hamas attack on Israel, while the situation regarding Islamophobic offences has been more mixed. The Community Safety Trust, a Jewish charity, has deemed the figures “shocking,” while campaigners against anti-Muslim abuse have found them “deeply worrying.” PA news agency has obtained data that shows antisemitic offences rose prominently in larger police force territories in the month after the October 7 attack. Greater Manchester Police recorded 74 antisemitic incidents compared to 15 during the same period the previous year, while the number of Islamophobic offences decreased to 34 from 43.
Meanwhile, West Yorkshire Police saw 53 antisemitic offences recorded, up from 10 in 2022, while Islamophobic offences increased to 49 from 29, posing the most significant increase in such incidents. Antisemitic offences in the month up to 7 November recorded by West Midlands Police increased to 22 from one in 2022, while Islamophobic offences fell from 33 in 2022 to 25. Merseyside Police said antisemitic incidents rose from four to 20, while Islamophobic offences rose from six to 10. Some forces, which cover both urban and less inhabited areas, are seeing a similar pattern in recorded antisemitic incidents, but with lower numbers of offences, such as Hertfordshire Police, who recorded 17 antisemitic offences compared to six in 2022, and Thames Valley Police, which saw its numbers rise from one to 21.
However, the British Transport Police recorded the highest surge, demonstrating 87 antisemitic offences, up from eight from the same period in 2022, with Islamophobic offences jumping from two to 22. Speaking about the figures, a spokesperson for the Community Security Trust stated that they highlighted “the extent of the unacceptable rise in anti-Jewish hatred across the country” since 7 October. They emphasised the significance of identifying and prosecuting perpetrators, as well as the necessity for “wider society to show its disgust for this racist hate crime.”
Iman Atta, the director of Tell Mama, which monitors anti-Muslim abuse, said the levels of Islamophobic hatred and discrimination were “deeply worrying,” impacting communities’ “trust in authorities and their sense of identity and belonging.” Additional funding has been made available by the Home Office to Jewish and Muslim communities, providing extra security at places of worship and faith schools. The unprecedented Hamas attacks in Israel resulted in 1,200 fatalities, with roughly 240 others taken hostage. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, over 21,300 Palestinians have died in Israeli bombardments since then
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