Antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United Kingdom in 2019, according to a report published this week by the British Community Security Trust (CST), an organization that monitors antisemitism in Britain. According to the report, antisemitic incidents rose 7% from the 1,690 reported incidents in 2018.
Nearly two-thirds of the recorded incidents occurred in Greater London (947 incidents) and Greater Manchester (223 incidents), which have the largest concentrations of Jewish residents. Despite, the increase in antisemitic incidents overall, the total of antisemitic incidents in Manchester declined by 11%.
According to the report, there were over 100 reported antisemitic incidents recorded each month, with the highest monthly totals occurring in December (184 incidents) and February (182 incidents), when there was a national debate about antisemitism in the Labour Party. The report recorded that over the course of 2019, there were 224 antisemitic incidents from individuals associated with the Labour party, a sharp increase from the 148 reported incidents in 2018.
According to the CST report, there was a dramatic 82% increase of antisemitic incidents online, which account for nearly 40% of the reported antisemitic incidents in the report. The actual number of online antisemitic incidents was significantly higher, since the report recorded targeted campaigns against individuals - which in some cases involves thousands of antisemitic posts online- as a single incident in the report.
Violent antisemitic crimes also increased by 25%, according to the report. The CST recorded 158 violent antisemitic crimes in 2019.
CST Chief Executive David Delew said that the report’s findings were unfortunate, but it was unsurprising that “antisemitic incidents reached yet another high.”
Following the report’s release, government officials condemned the growing antisemitism in Britain. Home Secretary Priti Patel called for the “shameful stain” to be removed across the country and for stronger action to tackle the problem. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick, agreed saying that “There is no place for antisemitism in our society.”