Report: Anti-Semitic incidents rise in Britain

By · July 31, 2008

Anti-Semitic incidents on campus led to a rise in anti-Semitic acts in Britain in the first half of 2008.

The Community Security Trust, which monitors anti-Semitism directed at the Jewish community and its institutions, through June recorded 266 anti-Semitic incidents, a rise of 9 percent from the 244 incidents recorded in the same period in 2007.

The number of violent assaults fell, while hate incidents on campuses nearly doubled, according to the CST.

Forty-nine incidents involved students, student bodies and academics, compared to 26 in the same period last year. Of the 2008 incidents, 31 took place on campuses and 18 off campus.

“The rise in anti-Semitic incidents affecting Jewish students is of particular concern,” said CST spokesman Mark Gardner, “and we will work with the Union of Jewish Students, university authorities and the government to tackle what is clearly a growing problem.”

In the large communities of London and Manchester there was virtually no change in the first six months of this year. A rise in incidents recorded mostly in smaller communities was due in part to better reporting.

The number of violent anti-Semitic assaults fell by 24 percent in the first half of the year. Forty-two anti-Semitic assaults were reported compared to 54 in 2007, the highest number of anti-Semitic assaults since the CST started recording anti-Semitic incidents in 1984.

The number of nonviolent incidents of abusive behavior, including verbal abuse, hate mail and anti-Semitic graffiti on non-Jewish property, rose by 21 percent – to 166 incidents from 137.