UK Sees Surge in Antisemitic Incidents on University Campuses Since Hamas Oct 7 Attack, Report

UK Sees Surge in Antisemitic Incidents on University Campuses Since Hamas Oct 7 Attack, Report

Karen Faulkner

A new study shows a record 272 antisemitic incidents were reported at British universities in the academic year following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror massacre against Israel and the onset of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

The study was conducted by the UK’s Community Security Trust (CST), a non-profit organization that advocates for the safety of Jews in Britain.

The CST study reveals that the 2023-2024 academic year saw five times the number of antisemitic incidents at British universities than were recorded in the previous year, TOI reports. Eighty-five incidents were recorded in October 2023 alone. The previous record number of such incidents had been 55, during the 2021 Israel-Hamas conflict.

“These findings paint a stark picture of the challenges faced by Jewish students and staff on UK campuses,” Union of Jewish Students president Sami Berkoff said in a statement. “It is clear that urgent action is needed. The legitimization of extremist rhetoric on campuses, including support for terror groups, emboldens protestors and further alienates Jewish students.”

Notably, the report included online and offline cases of verbal abuse, threats, assaults, and desecration of Jewish property but did not include incidents or rhetoric related specifically to the actions of the Israeli government or to “Zionists.”