2019 sees antisemitism record in UK
Report shows 46% rise in social media incidents • Over 100 related to Labour Party
A report on UK antisemitism in the first six months of 2019 has revealed a recordhigh number of incidents in the country.
According to the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism and provides security for British Jewry, 892 antisemitic incidents were recorded nationwide.
This is the third year in a row that the organization has seen an increase in antisemitic incidents.
The group said that this was a 10% increase in antisemitic incidents over the same period last year. In 2018, 810 incidents were reported between January and June.
“CST recorded over 100 antisemitic incidents in every one of the six months from January to June 2019, the third consecutive year in which this has occurred,” it said. “The highest monthly totals in the first half of 2019 were February and March, with 182 and 169 antisemitic incidents respectively. These are the joint fourthand sixth-highest monthly totals ever recorded by CST.”
The trust highlighted that these incidents occurred “when issues relating to Jews and antisemitism were prominent in news and politics, due to the continuing controversy over antisemitism in the Labour Party.”
A small group of Labour MPs left the party in February, with several saying that antisemitism was the main reason for their decision.
“CST recorded 25 antisemitic incidents in February and 30 in March that were examples of, or related to arguments over, alleged antisemitism in the Labour Party,” the organization stated. “These 55 Labour Party-related incidents from February and March are over half of the 100 such incidents recorded by CST during the first six months of 2019.”
Of the 892 incidents of antisemitism recorded, 323 were related to social media, comprising 36% of the overall total.
This is compared with 221 incidents on social media in the first half of 2018, or 27% of the total.
This means that there was a 46% increase in the number of online incidents recorded by CST compared with 2018.
“It is the most obvious single factor explaining why the overall total rose by 10% in the first half of the year,” CST explained. “It is difficult to assess whether this reflects an increase in the amount of antisemitism online, or more reporting of the phenomenon to CST.”
The group also reported a 37% increase in the number of violent antisemitic attacks.
During the first six months of 2018, 62 violent incidents were reported, but in the first half of 2019 this number rose to 85.
“None of these violent incidents were classified by CST as ‘Extreme Violence’, which would mean they involved potential grievous bodily harm or a threat to life,” the report said. “There were 38 incidents of Damage and Desecration of Jewish property in the first six months of 2019; 710 incidents of Abusive Behavior, including verbal abuse, antisemitic graffiti, antisemitic abuse via social media and one-off cases of hate mail; 49 direct antisemitic threats; and 10 cases of mass-mailed antisemitic leaflets or emails.”