Antisemitism Incidents on UK University Campuses Increase, Charity Reports

Cases of antisemitism affecting university students and staff in the United Kingdom increased in the last academic year, according to the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors antisemitic incidents.

The CST recorded 95 university-related incidents in the 2025-26 academic year, an increase from 83 the previous year. While this number has fallen from its peak in the year immediately following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, it remains substantially higher than pre-conflict levels.

Universities UK (UUK), which represents more than 140 institutions, acknowledged the findings as a "serious concern" and stated that its members must "protect Jewish students and staff." Lucy Powell, education secretary in England, described the report's findings as "deeply troubling" and noted that universities are expected to adopt a zero-tolerance approach, with training provided to help staff identify and respond to incidents.

The CST defines a university-related antisemitic incident as one concerning a student, staff member, or academic at a UK university in their academic or student capacity, including incidents occurring on campus and online. In the 2022-23 academic year, before the October 7th attacks, the CST recorded 53 such incidents. This figure rose to 272 in 2023-24.

The charity's report examining the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years indicated a decrease in reported incidents in 2024-25, followed by a renewed increase in 2025-26.

Abusive behavior, including verbal abuse, online comments, and antisemitic graffiti, constituted the most common types of incidents recorded by the CST over both academic years. For the first time, the report noted two occurrences of extreme violence in 2024-25. Across the two years, there were six reported assaults, eight incidents of property damage, and ten threats.

Approximately two-thirds of the reported incidents involved antisemitic language or targeting alongside references to Israel, Gaza, Hamas, the October 7th attack, and related conflicts. The war in Gaza was initiated by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Israel's military response in Gaza has led to an estimated 74,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The CST report stated that while criticism of Israel and Zionism is not inherently antisemitic, the data suggests that anti-Zionist language is frequently used in conjunction with hostility towards Jewish people and organizations. Mark Gardner, CST's chief executive, highlighted the ongoing serious problem of campus antisemitism and expressed particular concern about the rising proportion of incidents involving university staff. He emphasized that universities have a duty to ensure Jewish students and staff can participate fully in campus life.

Raphi Leon, president of the Union of Jewish Students, called the report a catalyst for increased action to support Jewish students and combat antisemitism. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of UUK, echoed these concerns, stating that universities are responsible for protecting Jewish students and staff from abuse and clarifying the boundaries between strong opinions and antisemitism or harassment. She noted that UUK has collaborated with organizations like the CST on guidance for universities but acknowledged that further efforts are needed, particularly in strengthening confidence in disciplinary processes.