UK antisemitism neared record levels in first half of 2025

Israel’s war with Iran in June, along with chants of ‘Death, Death to the IDF’ at Glastonbury festival, caused the biggest spikes in anti-Jewish incidents, community watchdog says

By Zev Stub

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6 August 2025, 11:51 am

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Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.

Some 1,521 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the UK between January and June 2025, according to figures released Wednesday by the Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit providing security protection to British Jews.

The figure represents a 25% drop from the all-time high of 2,019 incidents in the same period of 2024, but is the second-highest total ever for a six-month period, with more than 200 incidents a month.

June, the month in which Israel fought its 12-day preemptive military campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, had the highest number of incidents, 326.

The highest daily total came on June 29, the day after the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan led mass chanting of “Death, Death to the IDF” at the Glastonbury Festival, broadcast by the BBC.

More than half of all reported incidents (779) were linked to Israel, Gaza, or the conflict. By contrast, only 16% of incidents were conflict-related in the first half of 2023, before the Hamas assault on October 7, 2023, sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

There were 76 violent assaults, including three cases of extreme violence, during the six-month period.

Online incidents dropped 12% from last year, but still comprised 38% of the total. Most incidents (81%) fell under the category of abusive behavior, both online and offline.

Pro-Palestinian supporters hold placards and wave flags on Downing Street in central London, on July 19, 2025, as they take part in a ‘National March for Palestine’ organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. (CARLOS JASSO / AFP)

The UK government is committed to combating antisemitism, including £54 million in protective funding through 2028, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

“These are extreme levels of Jew-hatred, committed in the name of anti-Israel activism,” said CST chief executive Mark Gardner. “We thank those politicians and police officers who have supported our community.”

Antisemitism has spiked around the world since the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, and UK Jews have suffered a sizable portion of it. A recent study by UK-based Campaign Against Antisemitism found that only one-third of British Jews believe they have a long-term future in the United Kingdom, and half have considered leaving Britain in the past two years due to antisemitism.