There has been a significant surge in reported cases of antisemitism and islamophobia in UK universities, according to data collected by various anti-hate groups. Edward Isaac, president of the Union of Jewish Students, has said that this sudden spike in reported incidents is “like nothing the group has seen”. In the period of 7 October to 3 November 2023, the Community Security Trust recorded 67 antisemitic incidents from 29 campuses, compared to only 12 in the same period last year. Meanwhile, Tell Mama, an initiative that records islamophobic incidents, monitored 31 cases in the same period, versus just three last October. Experts say that the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine is being vented on university campuses across the UK.
The issue has been brought into sharp focus by Jacob Lederman, a student at the University of Warwick. Speaking to BBC Newsnight, he described an incident of racial abuse on a Jewish society WhatsApp chat group. The group had been established by the society to allow newly arrived Jewish students the opportunity to connect with their peers. However, after a few days, the group was infiltrated by four people who did not belong to it. After ostensibly asking regular questions about the society, one infiltrator then posted a message on the group asking if everyone agreed with Israel’s actions. Suddenly, the group became a vehicle for attacks on Jews and the Jewish religion. The 19-year-old described the incident as follows: “There were Jews who maybe had been at the university for two weeks and they were on a Jewish Society group and then suddenly they get attacked by this bile”.
Sahar Mulji, a Muslim university student, has also said that Muslim students are feeling increasingly isolated on UK campuses. She reported that people had things thrown at them and are generally living on edge. This is despite there being significantly more Muslim people living in England and Wales than Jews. As of 2022, Muslims accounted for almost 6.5% of the population, compared to the Jewish community’s 0.46%.
The UK government has indicated that it is in frequent contact with Tell Mama and the CST. Additionally, the administration has provided over £43 million to protect interfaith communities in the present fiscal year. In response to the recent rise in hate crimes, officials have said that anyone involved in such actions will face the full weight of the law
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