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Antisemitism Sharply Rises In UK: Report

A woman attends an anti-fascist demonstration in central London (Credit: Getty Images)

By Jordan Zaitchik
B’nai Brith Canada

According to a new report on antisemitism in the United Kingdom,, antisemitic incidents rose by 11% In the first half of 2016.

The Community Security Trust (CST) released a report that revealed a total of 557 antisemitic incidents that took place in the UK between January and June of 2016. CST is an organization that works to ensure that Jewish life is safe, free of antisemitism, and able to flourish in the United Kingdom. The report states that there has been an 11% increase in incidents compared to the January-June period of 2015. The organization releases semi-annual and annual reviews, antisemitic discourse reports, and incident reports. It also states that on average, the Jewish community experiences an antisemitic incident three times a day.

CST recorded that 133 (24%) of the reported incidents in the January-June period took place on social media. The report states that social media has become an “essential tool” for harassment and abuse. 79% of the reported incidents took place in the main Jewish centres of Greater London and Greater Manchester. There were 379 antisemitic incidents in Greater London and 62 incidents in Greater Manchester.

The increase was “most pronounced in the months of April, May, and June which showed unusually high monthly totals during a period when antisemitism, racism and extremism were all prominent in public debate and regularly reported in the national media.”

The report shows that in the long term, antisemitic incidents has increased sharply since the summer of 2014, this was when the conflict in Israel and Gaza took place. CST stated that the “average monthly antisemitic incident totals are now almost double what they were in 2011–2013.”

To read the entire report click here.

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