LONDON: Reports of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain since the weekend have tripled compared with the same period last year following the outbreak of new Israel-Palestinian conflict, a Jewish charity said on Tuesday.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which advises Britain’s estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, did not provide exact numbers but said further incidents could be reported in the coming days.
“We don’t have firm numbers yet as we are still logging and verifying everything that has come in, which also means that the number is likely to rise further, but the current rate is roughly triple what it was for the same period last year,” a spokesperson said.
The CST says any escalation in violence in Israel and Gaza often leads to antisemitic reactions in Britain.
On Monday, hundreds of people gathered at two locations in central London to mark the attacks, with supporters of Israel gathering near the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street to hold a vigil, and pro-Palestinian protesters demanding an “Intifada revolution” near the Israeli embassy.
Police said they had made three arrests at the demonstrations.
Antisemitic incidents in Britain hit a record high in 2021, fuelled by a rise in violence in Israel and Gaza, and last year the CST recorded 1,652, down 27% from the previous year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his solidarity with Britain’s Jews and has said he would work to make sure they felt safe, while police have stepped up patrols to provide reassurance to Jewish communities.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which advises Britain’s estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, did not provide exact numbers but said further incidents could be reported in the coming days.
“We don’t have firm numbers yet as we are still logging and verifying everything that has come in, which also means that the number is likely to rise further, but the current rate is roughly triple what it was for the same period last year,” a spokesperson said.
The CST says any escalation in violence in Israel and Gaza often leads to antisemitic reactions in Britain.
On Monday, hundreds of people gathered at two locations in central London to mark the attacks, with supporters of Israel gathering near the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street to hold a vigil, and pro-Palestinian protesters demanding an “Intifada revolution” near the Israeli embassy.
Police said they had made three arrests at the demonstrations.
Antisemitic incidents in Britain hit a record high in 2021, fuelled by a rise in violence in Israel and Gaza, and last year the CST recorded 1,652, down 27% from the previous year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his solidarity with Britain’s Jews and has said he would work to make sure they felt safe, while police have stepped up patrols to provide reassurance to Jewish communities.
