Antisemitic incidents hit a record high last year

The number of antisemitic incidents reported in the UK reached a record high last year as people reacted to the conflict in Israel and Gaza, according to new research.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors the extent of antisemitism in Britain, said 1,168 incidents had taken place nationwide in 2014 – more than double the 535 reported in 2013 and the highest annual total since records began in 1984.

In one of the worst incidents, which the charity classified as “extreme violence”, a victim in London was called a “Jewish c**t” and hit with a glass and a baseball bat. There were 81 incidents of physical assault in total, but most involved verbal abuse, hate mail or bullying on social media.

The charity said the sudden upsurge in violence in the Gaza Strip over the summer appeared to be the single biggest contributing factor to the surge in antisemitism. July saw 314 incidents, the highest-ever monthly total, while August saw 228. In 2013 there were only 59 incidents in July and 48 in August.

Graphic:Statista

More: The statistics that show the worrying levels of anti-Semitism in UK