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The highest monthly total was 326, in June, which coincided with Israel’s intensified military operations in Gaza, its conflict with Iran, and Bob Vylan’s inflammatory Glastonbury set.
Incidents of antisemitism were reported across the UK in schools and universities, on public transport, around synagogues, on the street and online. Most incidents occurred in areas with large Jewish populations (London and Manchester saw the highest totals), but anti-Jewish hate was reported nationwide, with the exception of Suffolk, the single police region without any recorded incidents.
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A total of 76 violent anti-Jewish assaults were recorded in the first six months of 2025, three of which were so severe they were classed in the category of extreme violence, meaning they involved gross bodily harm or a threat to life.
These acts of violence comprise five per cent of the overall half-year total: the lowest proportion for several years. There were 96 incidents of direct threats; 21 incidents of mass-produced antisemitic literature; and 1,236 incidents in the category of abusive behaviour, which includes all forms of verbal and written abuse, online and offline. There were 572 online incidents reported, comprising 38 per cent of the total, down 12 per cent from the corresponding period last year.
Magen David containing a swastika and 'WAR CRIMINALS RACIST ARROGANT COWARDS' scrawled on a synagogue in Southend, March (CST)[Missing Credit]
In nearly a third of all total cases (477), the abuse involved references to Hitler, Nazis, Holocaust denial, Nazi salutes, swastikas, or other related imagery.
Disturbingly, the figures reveal a 75 per cent increase in incidents celebrating the Holocaust, rising from 61 in the first half of 2024 to 107 in the past six months. Of these, 31 were also Israel-related, with offenders stating that Israel had shown Hitler had been “right about the Jews,” or lamenting the Nazi leader’s failure to annihilate the Jewish people and thereby prevent the modern state of Israel.
On six occasions, offenders both denied and celebrated the Holocaust – a contradiction the CST said “sums up the confusion and illogic that can exist in the minds of antisemites.”
There were 74 incidents targeting synagogues (including buildings, staff and congregants). A further 13 incidents saw congregants targeted on their way to or from services. Nearly half (47 per cent) of the synagogue-related cases involved Israel-related rhetoric.
Damage and desecration of Jewish property was up 10 per cent, with 92 instances, up from 84 in the same period last year, and the highest ever January to June figure recorded.
In Kent, a man was caught on CCTV placing pig trotters through a synagogue fence in February. He later admitted the offence in court. In Southend, a shul was defaced with a swastika inside a Magen David alongside graffiti reading: “war criminals racist arrogant cowards.”
A man was caught on CCTV in February placing pig trotters through the fence of Chatham Memorial Synagogue in Kent. He admitted to the act in court and was arrested again for breaching his bail conditions (CST)[Missing Credit]
There were also alarming reports of antisemitism on transport networks. The CST recorded 75 instances of antisemitism on public transport or at stations. In 61 per cent of these cases where victim’s age was known (51 cases), the targets were children. Of these, 14 were on their way to or from school.
This figure is significantly higher than the 20 per cent of recorded cases where the victim’s age was known in the previous year.
Similarly, 15 (30 per cent) of the 51 transport-related incidents where the offender or offenders’ age was known involved perpetrators under the age of 18. In contrast, among the 701 incidents that took place in other environments where the perpetrator’s age was provided, just 112 (16 per cent) involved offenders who were minors.
At Jewish schools, 24 antisemitic incidents were reported, down from 30 last year. Another 41 incidents involved Jewish students outside school, mainly while commuting.
In non-Jewish schools, the CST recorded 42 incidents involving schoolchildren or staff, a sharp drop from the 84 logged in the first half of 2024.
One case in February involved a German-Israeli student at a school in Sussex, who cut short his stay “due to the antisemitism he faced from other students.” He was told: “I hate Jews, there shouldn’t be any Jews in the world,” and “Kill Jews and Muslims – there should only be Christians.” Swastikas were drawn around the school, and one pupil illustrated a cover of Mein Kampf.
In higher education, incidents tumbled by nearly two thirds, from 98 from January to June 2024 to 35 in the same period this year. However, this figure is still more than double the 17 such cases logged in the corresponding period in 2023.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the level of anti-Jewish hate as “shamefully and persistently high”. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling antisemitism, referencing a £54 million multi-year funding package administered by the CST to provide vital “protective security” for the Jewish community until 2028.
Cooper said the government will continue to back the police “in taking the strongest possible action” against antisemitic hate crimes and reiterated that the new Antisemitism Working Group would advise on how best to respond to incidents. She thanked CST for its “tireless daily work” protecting the community.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner added: “No one should face fear or hatred for their beliefs. We stand with our Jewish communities and remain firm in our commitment to stamp out antisemitism wherever it occurs. I want to thank the CST for their continued and vital work.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said it was “sad to see that antisemitism is still at record highs.” He highlighted that the highest single-day total in 2025 so far came after the BBC aired Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set, during which the rap group led chants of “Death, death to the IDF.”
“Vylan was inciting violence and hatred, and it is right that the police are investigating his performance,” Philp said.
The day after the set, there were 26 reports of antisemitism, 16 of which were online anti-Jewish responses to Glastonbury.
Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, said of the report: “Antisemitism must be recognised by everyone as anti-Jewish racism and there must be a no tolerance approach to it across civil society at all levels. I will continue to work with the CST to make sure that the Jewish community can enjoy the same freedom and rights as the rest of society. We must not allow this level of anti-Jewish hatred to continue.”
Paul Giannasi, hate crime advisor to the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: “This report highlights the unacceptably high numbers of antisemitic crime suffered by Jewish citizens, particularly in times of global conflict.
“Despite the alarming detail in the report, I genuinely believe that the UK is among the safest places in the world for Jewish citizens. However, one crime is too many, and everyone has a right to live their lives free from targeted abuse. I would encourage all victims of hate to report crimes that do occur, either to the police or to the CST.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey added: “The scale of antisemitism is utterly unacceptable. My heart goes out to the British Jewish community, none of whom should have to suffer or live in fear simply because of their identity.
“Since the 7th October terrorist attacks by Hamas, the rise in antisemitism has been horrifying and as a society we must all resolve to stamp it out.”
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust added: “Today’s report from the CST highlights the alarming levels of antisemitism that continue to persist across our society in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7 2023.
“A significant 75 per cent increase in incidents where the Holocaust – the state-sponsored murder of six million Jewish men, women and children – is celebrated, its architects glorified, or calls are made for its atrocities to be repeated stands out as a deeply troubling statistic.
"The work of the CST has never been more vital, and we stand with them in the fight against antisemitism.”
