There were two hundred and five antisemitic incidents in Greater Manchester in 2016, a fall of 9 per cent from the 226 incidents recorded in 2015 but outside London, the region still has the highest reported incidents against Jews.

The figures released this morning  by the Community Security Trust (CST) shows nationally that there was a record number of antisemitic hate incidents recorded by CST in the UK in 2016.

CST recorded 1,309 antisemitic incidents nationwide during 2016, a 36 per cent increase from the 960 incidents recorded by CST in 2015.

Previously, the highest annual total of antisemitic incidents recorded by CST had been 1,182 incidents recorded in 2014.

CST has recorded antisemitic incidents since 1984.

CST currently records, on average, more than double the number of antisemitic incidents per month than was the case four years ago.

It appears, says the authors, that antisemitic incident totals may have been sustained at this high level by the cumulative effect of a series of events and factors that, taken together, have created an atmosphere in which more antisemitic incidents are occurring, and are also more likely to be reported to CST and the Police.
These factors included the conflict in Gaza and Israel in summer 2014; terrorist attacks on Jewish communities in France and Denmark in 2015, and other terrorism in Europe; and in 2016, high profile allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party; a perceived increase in racism and xenophobia following the EU referendum, including an increase in recorded racial and religious hate crime; and regular, high-profile discussion of antisemitism, racism and hate crime in mainstream media, politics and on social media during the year.

CST Chief Executive David Delew said:
“Whilst Jewish life in this country remains overwhelmingly positive, this heightened level of antisemitism is deeply worrying and it appears to be getting worse. Worst of all is that, for various reasons, some people clearly feel more confident to express their antisemitism publicly than they did in the past. CST will continue to support the victims of this hatred and we call on others to join us in confronting it wherever it appears.”

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