Anti-Semitic incidents in Britain at record level in 2009

An unprecedented 609 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded by the Community Security Trust (CST) in Britain in the first six months of 2009. This represents more than the 544 incidents during the whole of 2008. The CST said that never before more than 600 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in a calendar year. The previous annual high was 598 acts in 2006. Out of the total, 77 incidents were classified as violent assaults. There were also 400 incidents of general abuse, including hate mail to synagogues, along with 62 attacks on property that can be clearly defined as having a religious role.

The level of anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom in the first half of 2009 was more than twice as high as for the same period the previous year, the CST said, and is the highest in 25 years when such statistics were first compiled. The main reason was the unprecedented number of incidents recorded in January and February, during and after the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. However, the number of incidents recorded did not return to normal pre-Gaza levels until April, some three months after the fighting in Gaza ended.

Mark Gardner, of the CST, said: "British Jews are facing ever higher levels of racist attack and intimidation that threaten the wellbeing of our otherwise happy and successful Jewish community. "There is no excuse for anti-Semitism, racism and bias, and it is totally unacceptable that overseas conflicts should be impacting here in this way."

Earlier this year, Muslim leaders issued a joint statement denouncing anti-Semitism, amid fears that violent elements from within their own communities were responsible for the increase in attacks. Cohesion minister Shahid Malik, one of two Muslims in the British Government, said: "This rise in anti-Semitism is not just concerning for the British Jewish communities but for all those who see themselves as decent human beings."

Read the full CST report here.