The number of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain last year fell by more than a quarter from a record high seen in 2021, but an increasing number of children are becoming victims of hatred
The annual report by the Community Security Trust (CST), which advises Britain’s estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, recorded 1,652 anti-Jewish incidents in 2022, down 27% from the number the previous year where 2,261 antisemitic incidents were recorded, which was a record high sparked by antisemitic reactions to the conflict in the Middle East that year.
There were 210 antisemitic incidents in Greater Manchester, a fall of 26% from the 284 incidents in 2021, while 920 antisemitic incidents in Greater London, a decrease of 27% from the 1,259 incidents recorded in London in 2021.
Over three-quarters of all antisemitic incidents in 2022 took place offline: 1,294 incidents out of the total of 1,652. This is the second-highest total for offline incidents ever recorded by CST, forming 78% of the total. It suggests that in-person antisemitic activity has returned in force since the outbreak of Covid-19, during the first full year since 2019 in which no pandemic restrictions were applied in the UK. These incidents include face-to-face verbal abuse, assault, threats, graffiti and hate mail.
CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner said:
“Years of anti-Jewish hate have left a lasting legacy, and what we consider ‘normal’ today would have been an alarm call just a few years ago. The growing involvement of younger people in antisemitism shows us what the future may hold if we do not address this problem urgently, consistently and with a lasting commitment for action.”
Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP, said:
“While I welcome the reduction in the number of antisemitic incidents recorded by the Community Security Trust, it is a sobering reminder that antisemitism continues to be a scourge on our society, and we cannot be complacent. I am committed to ensuring the despicable people who commit these crimes feel the full force of the law. Our absolute priority is to get more police onto our streets, cut crime, protect the public and bring more criminals to justice. I applaud the continued efforts of CST to protect Jewish people and stamp out these abhorrent crimes, and I look forward to continuing to work together to tackle antisemitism in all its forms.”
Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, said:
“The high numbers of antisemitic attacks are deeply disturbing and reinforce the need for the vital work that the Community Security Trust does. While it is welcome that the number of incidents has fallen they remain shockingly high and it is clear that we must never be complacent in the face of the scourge of antisemitism. Tackling online extremism also needs to be a central part of a new Counter Extremism strategy. We must all redouble our efforts to call out antisemitism wherever we see it, to challenge the pernicious myths that fuel anti-Jewish hatred and remain vigilant to the prejudices that can spring up at any time.”
