Antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom increased by 21% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the Community Security Trust (CST). The organization, which provides security support to the Jewish community, recorded 1,926 incidents of anti-Jewish hate between January and June 2026. This marks the second highest total of such incidents ever recorded by the CST in the first half of any year since data collection began in 1984.
Policing Minister Sarah Jones described the numbers as "appalling," stating they indicate people are "living in fear just for being who they are." The reported incidents include arson attacks on Jewish organizations and synagogues in London, such as four volunteer ambulances being set alight in Golders Green in March 2026. In April 2026, two visibly Jewish men were stabbed nearby in an attack treated as an act of terrorism. The CST noted significant surges in antisemitic incidents following these events, with the highest daily total occurring on April 29, the day of the double stabbing.
According to the CST, hatred directed at British Jews remains at a higher level than before October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, initiating the war in Gaza. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is identified as a contributing factor, with 41% of recorded incidents referencing the conflict, Israel, Palestine, or Hamas alongside anti-Jewish language or motive. CST chief executive Mark Gardner stated that these attacks are not only against British Jews but also "attacks on Britain and our society," and should concern all who care about the nation and the threats it faces, whether from state-directed actions or internal ideological extremes.
Separate global data released concurrently indicates that antisemitism is at heightened levels worldwide. A report by the J7 Large Communities' Task Force Against Antisemitism found that the UK recorded the largest rise in antisemitic incidents last year among countries with significant Jewish populations outside of Israel. The report also identified 2025 as the deadliest year for Jews in the diaspora in over three decades.
Lord John Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, commented that the new CST figures demonstrate that anti-Jewish racism in the UK remains at an all-time high and poses a significant threat to democracy. He expressed particular concern regarding the increasing violence associated with antisemitism in the UK. The CST's analysis also revealed that antisemitism in schools reached its highest recorded level for the first six months of any year. Incidents in schools jumped by 59%, from 112 in the first half of 2025 to 178 in the same period of 2026. An independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges, commissioned by the government and led by Sir David Bell, is expected to report in the autumn.