Most British Jews believe they don’t have a long-term future in the UK, survey finds

Half of community has considered leaving Britain due to antisemitism, according to the Campaign Against Antisemitism, with overwhelming majority saying authorities not doing enough

Members of the Jewish community and supporters gather at the St John's Wood United Synagogue in north London, on April 7, 2024, for a 'Time is Running Out' event to raise awareness of the plight of over 100 hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7. (Justin Tallis/ AFP)
Members of the Jewish community and supporters gather at the St John's Wood United Synagogue in north London, on April 7, 2024, for a 'Time is Running Out' event to raise awareness of the plight of over 100 hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7. (Justin Tallis/ AFP)

Only one-third of British Jews believe that Jews have a long-term future in the United Kingdom, and half have considered leaving Britain in the past two years due to antisemitism, according to a new survey published by the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The survey of 4,078 British Jews, conducted in June 2024, was released Monday to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Respondents were required to self-identify as Jewish and confirm that they lived in the United Kingdom, and were contacted through other Jewish organizations. Campaign Against Antisemitism conceded that it is possible that the numbers include duplicate responses.

The results reflect the sharp rise in antisemitism in the UK since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its war against Israel by invading, killing 1,200 in Israel and taking 251 hostages.

Nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were documented in the first half of 2024, the highest-ever tally for a six-month period, according to the Community Security Trust, an organization helping secure Jews in the UK.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism study found that a majority of British Jews (58 percent) hide their Judaism due to antisemitism, and less than half (43%) feel welcome in the UK.

Some 84% of British Jews believe that the authorities are not doing enough to address and punish antisemitism, and 62% are not confident that police would prosecute an antisemitic crime if they reported it. Three-quarters said they are dissatisfied with how their local police forces have been policing anti-Israel marches in their cities.

Protesters attend a march against antisemitism in London, UK, December 8, 2024. (Campaign Against Antisemitism)

“British Jews have lost trust in the criminal justice system in general, which they do not feel is protecting them,” the organization said. “We need more arrests, prosecutions, serious sentences, and a ban on the anti-Israel marches.”

Some 92% of British Jews think that media bias against Israel fuels the persecution of Jews in Britain. In terms of media bias, the BBC scored the worst among broadcasters in terms of its coverage of Jewish matters, with 92% of British Jews rating it as unfavorable. Among newspapers, The Guardian fared the worst, with an unfavorable rating of 69%.

The poll, taken before the Labour Party swept to power in the election in July, found that more than 70% said that both the Green Party and the Labour Party were too tolerant of antisemitism among their MPs, MEPs, councilors, members and supporters.

The vast majority (85%) of British Jews are dissatisfied with London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s performance in relation to the Jewish community throughout the war in Gaza.

On university campuses, only 3% of British Jews said they would be confident that if a Jewish student reported an antisemitic incident, the university’s administration would take appropriate action. Some 88% said that antisemitism would be a factor if someone in their family were choosing a university.

“From politics to the BBC to universities, the Jewish community sees betrayal across our civil and cultural institutions,” said a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism. “The cumulative result is that less than half of British Jews feel welcome in the UK. Antisemitism has become our nation’s great shame, and time is running out.”

Most Popular
read more: