Antisemitic incidents in the UK have reached an all-time high, according to the Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish security charity. Incidents peaked at 4,103 in 2023, up from 1,662 in 2022 and nearly double the 2021 record of 2,255. The rise was primarily due to attacks and incidents that occurred during and after the Hamas attacks of October 7th, with two-thirds of incidents in 2023 happening after this date.
Additionally, the CST’s annual report showed that anti-Jewish hate incidents in and around schools had more than tripled since 2022. Many Jewish schools have installed additional security measures since last October, including King David High School in Manchester.
While students attest to feeling safe while on school premises, incidents of antisemitic abuse while travelling to and from school have become a daily occurrence for many pupils. For example, one student, Yoni, revealed that he had been threatened on one occasion. Yoni feels that walking around with a kippah (skullcap) has made him more vulnerable as it identifies him as Jewish and has called for more significant efforts to tackle antisemitism.
Rabbi Benjy Rickman, head of religious studies at King David High, emphasized the importance of education in confronting antisemitism. He has worked with different faith schools across Manchester for over a decade, using this as a means of building harmonious relationships between diverse communities.
In response to the growing threat of antisemitic hate crimes in the UK, the government has taken steps to counter this trend. For example, the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced a funding initiative of £7m to help schools and universities combat antisemitism. Of the £7m, £5.5m is currently available for organisations to bid for. The CST report indicates that university-related incidents of antisemitism have more than tripled since 2022, from 60 to 182 in 2023. The report also finds that online antisemitism formed 31% of the total, compared with 22% in 2022
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