Antisemitic Incidents Report January-June 2024

Executive Summary

• CST recorded 1,978 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first half of 2024, the highest total ever reported to CST in the first six months of any year. This is an increase of 105% from the 964 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the January-to-June period of 2023, which was the third-highest half year figure reported to CST. CST recorded 823 incidents in the first six months of 2022, 1,371 from January to June 2021, and 875 in the first half of 2020.1

• The 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first six months of 2024 is 44% higher than the previous half-year record of 1,371 incidents in 2021, and is a reflection of the ongoing high volume of anti-Jewish hate reported since the Hamas terror attack in Israel on 7 October 2023. As documented in CST’s Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023, there was an instant increase in antisemitic incident levels in the UK following Hamas’ attack on Israel, before Israel had coordinated any large scale military response in Gaza.2 The subsequent war, and the widespread public focus it has drawn, have continued to impact the scale and content of antisemitism so far this year.

• While the quantity of recorded antisemitic incidents in the first six months of 2024 is lower than the instant spike in the aftermath of 7 October, the six-monthly figure of 1,978 incidents is unprecedented. It is higher than every previous annual total bar two: only in 2023 and 2021, when the high annual totals were also driven by anti-Jewish reactions to conflict in the Middle East, have more antisemitic incidents been reported to CST across an entire year than they were in the first half of this.

• Over 200 incidents were reported per month between January and June 2024. Prior to October 2023, CST had only recorded more than 200 incidents in a month on five occasions, all of which had occurred when Israel was at war. February’s, January’s and March’s incident counts of 443, 388 and 318 respectively make them the fifth-, sixth-and seventh-worst months for antisemitism in the UK ever reported to CST.

• The elevated number of monthly reported incidents of anti-Jewish hate after 7 October reveals two consistent trends across CST's records. First, that events in the Middle East trigger a surge of antisemitic responses in the UK; from those who celebrate attacks on Israel and Israelis, those who direct their anger over this geopolitical conflict towards British Jews, and those who use these events as an excuse to express their pre-existing, general anti-Jewish prejudice. Second, that when antisemitic incidents appear to settle down following this initial surge, they plateau at a higher level than prior to the trigger event. In the six months leading up to 7 October 2023, CST recorded a monthly average of 162 incidents per month. In the first half of 2024, an average of 330 anti-Jewish hate incidents were reported to CST.

• One reason why incident levels have remained so high for so long following 7 October is that this war has lasted longer than any previous conflicts in Israel and Gaza, and therefore has held public attention and scrutiny for a greater period of time. Images of death and destruction have continued to circulate in mainstream and social media, anti-Israel protests have persisted, as have vigils for the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. Not only has this offered an extended window for the public to familiarise itself with this subject matter, but it has also prompted sustained public debate about what does and does not constitute antisemitism. In some cases, the very legitimacy of antisemitism as a critical concept has been questioned, playing into the antisemitic notion that Jews falsely claim it for social and political gain. These circumstantial factors have also contributed to heightened feelings of uncertainty and fear among Jewish people, who know that they may become proxy targets for hostility towards Israel, and in turn have further motivation to keep on reporting antisemitism when they see it.

• The most common form of anti-Jewish discourse present in antisemitic incidents reported to CST throughout the first half of 2024 referenced or was linked to Israel, Palestine, the Hamas terror attack or the subsequent war. This type of language appeared in 1,026 (52%) of the 1,978 incidents recorded, rising from 151 between January and June 2023 (16% of that six-monthly total). This demonstrates the way that the language and form of antisemitism changes when Israel is at war. This is a hatred that, while deeply rooted, adapts to current social, political and cultural contexts. There were 836 incidents that showed explicitly anti-Zionist motivation alongside anti-Jewish hate speech or targeting: 42% of all reports, rising from 92 in the first half of 2023. Meanwhile, the words “Zionism” or “Zionist” were employed in 208 cases, often as euphemisms for “Jewishness” and “Jew”, or alongside other antisemitic sentiments, increasing from 47 in the corresponding period last year. Direct comparisons were drawn between Israel or Jewish people and the Nazis on 186 occasions, a substantial surge from 28 such instances from January to June 2023. CST recorded at least 210 incidents wherein offenders shouted or wrote “Free Palestine” in the first half of 2024. Although not inherently an antisemitic phrase, in each of these examples, it was directed at Jewish people or institutions simply for being Jewish, or constituted part of a wider outburst that included other overtly anti-Jewish abuse. 

• Seventy-three antisemitic incidents recorded by CST between January and June 2024 contained discourse relating to Islam, Muslims and Islamist groups, while 37 showed evidence of Islamist extremist ideology. This is a substantial rise from nine and four such reports respectively made in the corresponding timeframe last year. Once again, this is indicative of how war in the Middle East gives life to certain antiJewish discourses that lie more dormant in other periods. In the specific context of the months following 7 October, the majority of the Islamist incidents endorsed or celebrated Hamas’ terror attack or encouraged future repeats of that atrocity.

• In total, 1,409 (71%) of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the first half of 2024 presented evidence of one or more political or ideological discourses, tropes, conspiracy theories or motivations. For comparison, these anti-Jewish narratives were present in 516 (54%) of the 964 incidents recorded from January to June 2023. This increase in political language and motivations is another indicator of the impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on the content of antisemitism in the UK.

• CST recorded 121 incidents in the category of Assault in the first six months of 2024, the most ever recorded in the January-to-June period and an increase of 41% from 86 incidents of this type reported in the first half of 2023. Together with the one additional case severe enough to be classified as Extreme Violence, physical attacks constitute 6% of the six-monthly total, down from 9% of last year’s half-year figure.

• Cases of Damage & Desecration to Jewish property rose by 246%, from 24 in the first half of 2023 to 83 between January and June 2024, the highest ever six-monthly total in this category. Twenty-six of these involved damage done to the homes and vehicles of Jewish people, 20 to posters of the hostages captured by Hamas, 11 to Jewish businesses and organisations, seven to synagogues, two to Jewish schools, two to kosher food aisles at a supermarket, and one to a public menorah (candelabra used during the festival of Chanukah). 

• There were 142 incidents reported to CST in the category of Threats in the first six months of 2024, which includes direct threats and explicit incitement of violence to people, institutions or property, as opposed to more general abuse containing non-specific threatening language. This is a rise of 158% from the 55 incidents of this kind reported from January to June 2023, making it the highest ever half-year total in this category. 

• CST recorded 1,618 incidents in the category of Abusive Behaviour in the first half of 2024, more than in the first six months of any other year and an increase of 104% from the 792 instances of Abusive Behaviour reported over the same period in 2023. This figure alone eclipses the incident total recorded across all categories between January and June of all preceding years, and is higher than all but six annual antisemitic incident totals ever reported to CST. These 1,618 incidents form 82% of the half-year total.

• There were 13 incidents reported to CST in the category of mass-produced antisemitic Literature during the first six months of 2024, rising by 86% from seven such incidents recorded across the same timeframe in 2023. Only in 2018 has CST logged more cases of anti-Jewish hate in this category over the January-to-June period. . 

• CST recorded 630 cases of online antisemitism in the first half of 2024, 32% of the 1,978 instances of anti-Jewish hate recorded. This is the highest number of online incidents ever reported between January and June, and the highest proportion of the total since 2020. It is an increase of 153% from the first six months of 2023, when 249 online incidents made up 26% of the overall figure. Both the actual and proportional increase in reports of online incidents is in part a consequence of the ongoing war in Gaza, and the way this topic inspires dialogue and debate on social media platforms, which sometimes slip into antisemitic discourse. Of the 630 online incidents, 441 (70%) were in some way related to events in the Middle East. This was the case in just 585 (43%) of the 1,348 ‘offline’ reports of anti-Jewish hate.

• This total for online incidents is only indicative, as the actual amount of antisemitic content that is generated and disseminated on online platforms is much larger. In some cases, social media has been used as a tool for coordinated campaigns of antisemitic harassment, threats and abuse directed at Jewish public figures and other individuals. Where this is the case, CST will record a coordinated campaign as a single incident, even if it involves multiple tweets, posts, messages or comments. CST does not trawl the internet looking for online incidents to log and will only record online incidents that are reported to CST by a victim, witness or other third party, and where either the offender or the victim is based in the UK.

• The two highest daily totals for antisemitic incidents in the first half of 2024 were prompted by anti-Jewish responses online. CST recorded 45 antisemitic incidents on 15 February, 36 of which occurred online, when CST published its Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023. Thirty antisemitic incidents were reported on 29 February, 18 of which happened on virtual fora, when the government announced the extension of the grant that CST manages for the provision of security to Jewish schools and synagogues across the country. It shows that when the issues of anti-Jewish hate and the need for the protection of the Jewish community are raised publicly, they spark responses that perpetuate anti-Jewish prejudice, ironically demonstrating the need for such announcements

• As is usual in times when Israel is at war, there was a significant increase in school-related anti-Jewish hate. Thirty antisemitic incidents were reported in the first six months of 2024 that took place at Jewish schools. A further 51 incidents involved Jewish schoolchildren away from school, usually commuting to or from their place of education, often visibly Jewish due to their uniform. CST logged 81 antisemitic incidents involving schoolchildren or staff at non-faith schools, comprising a record half-year total of 162 cases of antisemitism affecting people and property in the school sector. This is an increase of 119% from the 74 such incidents reported from January to June 2023. Unlike the first half of last year, when 36% of the school-related incidents occurred at non-faith schools, 50% happened in this specific environment between January and June 2024. This proportional shift is typical at times of escalated conflict in the Middle East, with some children venting their antiIsrael feelings at easily accessible Jewish classmates and staff. 

• CST also observed a significant rise in anti-Jewish hate incidents in higher education settings. In the first six months of 2024, there were 96 antisemitic incidents in which the victims or offenders were students or academics, or which involved student unions, societies or other representative bodies. Of these, 44 took place on campus or university property and 45 were online. It is a record half-year figure and a sharp increase of 465% from the same period in 2023, when 17 instances of university related antisemitism were reported, of which 11 happened on campus and four were online. Of the 96 antisemitic incidents to occur in the context of universities, 70 (73%) contained discourse relating to Israel, Palestine and the Middle East, disproportionately higher than the 52% of incidents that were not linked to the higher education sphere. There is no single reason for this disparity, but several aspects of university life may explain why this topic is overrepresented in reports of antisemitism emerging in these environments. Universities are often close-knit and insular communities, where discourse concerning politics, identity and contemporary affairs are encouraged and facilitated by the university structure itself. Additionally, the longstanding tradition of student anti-Israel activism can contribute to an environment in which some individuals respond to the current war in the Middle East in an antisemitic way. 

• Seventy-six antisemitic incidents recorded during the first six months of 2024 targeted synagogues, including buildings, congregants and staff at synagogue premises. Congregants on their way to or from prayers were victims in a further 38, compared to 30 and 16 incidents respectively during the first half of 2023. This is a net increase of 148% in incidents affecting synagogues and the people travelling to, from, or already inside them, from 46 to 114 reports – the most ever recorded in the first half of a year. Synagogues represent symbolic and often clearly identifiable targets for those seeking an avenue for their anti-Jewish hate. Twenty-eight of the incidents directed at synagogues involved perpetrators verbally abusing administrators over the phone or leaving hostile voicemails.

• CST obtained a description of the ethnic appearance of the offender or offenders in 624 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents reported from January to June 2024.3 Of these, 265 (42%) were described as white – North European; 10 (2%) as white – South European; 75 (12%) as black; 85 (14%) as South Asian; three (less than 1%) as Southeast Asian; finally, 186 (30%) were described as Arab or North African. For comparison, in the first six months of 2023, 47% were described as white – North European; 3% as white – South European; 17% as black; 13% as South Asian; less than 1% as Southeast Asian; and 20% as Arab or North African. It is atypical for a majority of incident offenders to be described as non-white, suggesting that the sustained high volume of anti-Jewish hate over the start of 2024 has come from parts of the population that do not usually form the bulk of antisemitic incident perpetrators, and who have been motivated to act in response to the conflict in the Middle East. This shift is, however, consistent with trends noted during previous periods of war involving Israel.

• One thousand and thirty-seven antisemitic incidents were reported to have taken place across Greater London in the first six months of 2024, rising by 120% from 471 over the same timeframe in 2023. CST recorded 268 antisemitic incidents in Greater Manchester between January and June 2024, an increase of 96% from the 137 incidents reported in the corresponding area and period last year. These figures, the most ever logged in these areas over the first half of a year, constitute 66% of the UK’s six-monthly total, compared to 63% between January and June 2023. These communal hubs are home to the largest Jewish communities in the UK, which remain the main targets of anti-Jewish hate in the country.

• Of the 1,037 antisemitic incidents recorded across Greater London in the first six months of 2024, 411 took place in Barnet, the local authority that is home to the biggest Jewish community in the UK. There were 122 instances of anti-Jewish hate recorded in Westminster, 94 in Camden, 60 in Hackney and 30 in Brent. The figure for Greater London would be even higher, were it not for a disruption to the flow of reports received from the Metropolitan Police as part of CST’s information exchange with police forces, from March onwards. CST’s collaboration with the police is of huge value, and remains a core part of CST’s work.

• Incident totals in Westminster and Camden rank higher than in previous years. The former, as the country’s political hub, has hosted many of the capital’s anti-Israel demonstrations and vigils for the hostages captured by Hamas. While largely peaceful events, these occasions have attracted individuals who were reported for anti-Jewish placards, leaflets and hate speech. At least 19 incidents were recorded in Westminster either at anti-Israel marches or in transit to or from them, or at vigils held for the victims of Hamas’ terror attack. Both boroughs are home to prominent Jewish organisations that have been targeted with online antisemitism. Of the 216 incidents reported across both local authorities, 89 happened online.

• Of Greater Manchester’s 268 antisemitic incidents recorded between January and June 2024, 92 occurred in the City of Manchester, 78 in Bury, 59 in Salford, 12 in Stockport and nine in Trafford.

• The only police regions where CST did not record a single incident in the first six months of 2024 were Lincolnshire and Suffolk. Contemporary antisemitism exists all over the country and, aided by the far reach of internet platforms, now has the potential to be seen and heard regardless of proximity to Jewish communities.

• Apart from Greater London and Greater Manchester, the police regions with the highest half-year antisemitic incident totals were West Yorkshire (115 incidents, compared to 44 in the first half of 2023); Hertfordshire (60 incidents, increasing from 25 in the first six months of 2023); Thames Valley (47 incidents, compared to 13 in the same timeframe in 2023); West Midlands (43 incidents, up from ten between January and June 2023); and Scotland (40, rising from 14 in the first six months of 2023).

• Other than Greater London and Greater Manchester’s boroughs, the towns and cities with the highest number of reported antisemitic incidents from January to June were Leeds in West Yorkshire (84 incidents); Birmingham in West Midlands (30 incidents); Oxford in Thames Valley (29 incidents); Borehamwood & Elstree in Hertfordshire (24 incidents); Brighton & Hove in Sussex (23 incidents); Cambridge in Cambridgeshire (22 incidents); and Glasgow in Scotland (also 22 incidents). 

• In addition to the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first six months of 2024, a further 1,493 potential incidents were reported to CST that are not included among the report’s statistics as, upon further investigation, they did not evidence antisemitic language, motivation or targeting. Many of these potential incidents involve suspicious activity or possible hostile reconnaissance at Jewish locations, and they play an important role in informing CST’s provision of protection to the Jewish community. Others involve anti-Israel activity that did not include anti-Jewish language or targeting. It is the highest number of non-antisemitic incidents that CST has ever recorded in the first half of a year, rising from 344 between January and June 2023, and it conveys the general increase in anti-Israel (but not antisemitic) rhetoric since 7 October and into this year. It also reflects a Jewish community that has felt an intensified sense of anxiety, and has thus been more inclined to report any perceived hostile activity.

Antisemitic Incident Numbers

This total represents an increase of 105% from the 964 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first half of 2023, which was itself the third highest figure ever reported to CST between January and June. CST received 823 reports of anti-Jewish hate in the first six months of 2022, 1,371 in the first half of 2021, and 875 from January to June 2020.

In addition to the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first six months of 2024, a further 1,493 possible incidents were reported that are not among the statistics analysed in this report because, upon examination, they did not evidence antisemitic motivation, language or targeting. These other reports, forming 43% of the 3,471 potential incidents reported to CST, involved suspicious activity or possible hostile reconnaissance at Jewish locations, non-antisemitic crime affecting Jewish people or property, or anti-Israel activity that did not meet CST’s threshold for classification as antisemitic. Although not included in this report’s data, many of these non-incidents are nonetheless relevant for CST’s provision of security protection to the Jewish community. Many required further investigation or a security-related response.

The record total of 1,978 antisemitic incidents is 44% higher than the previous January-to-June record reported in 2021, and higher than every annual total that CST has ever recorded with the exception of 2023 and 2021, when antisemitic reactions to intensified conflict in the Middle East also drove up the overall figure. It is a consequence of the unprecedented scale and endurance of anti-Jewish hate observed since Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The spike in antisemitism witnessed across the UK in its immediate aftermath occurred as soon as news of the attack spread, and well before Israel’s military response in Gaza reached its peak. The ensuing and ongoing war, and the prominence it has garnered in media and public attention, have continued into 2024 and consequently have influenced the volume and composition of anti-Jewish hate in every month of this year. 

CST logged in excess of 200 incidents each month in the first half of 2024. Before October 2023, this had only happened in five instances, all of which were concurrent with wars involving Israel. The 443, 388 and 318 antisemitic incidents recorded respectively in February, January and March make them the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-worst months for UK-based anti-Jewish hate ever reported to CST. Although not included in this report, it is worth noting that October, November and December 2023 respectively represented the highest, second-highest and third-highest monthly totals ever recorded.

These post-October levels of antisemitism seen across the UK illuminate two patterns that are accordant with CST’s previous analysis. First, that Israel-related affairs inspire an elevated rate of antisemitic reactions throughout the UK: from people who celebrate violence enacted upon Israel and Israeli citizens, people who target British Jews as proxies for their anger at Israel, and people who simply use Israel as an excuse to vent their hatred of Jews. Second, that when the initial surge in antisemitic incidents subsides, it settles back at a higher level than was typically recorded prior to the initial escalation. This pattern is discernible from previous wars in Israel and Gaza, even if we discount the temporary spikes that occur during the conflict periods. For example, in the six months before the war in Gaza and Israel in late 2008/early 2009, CST recorded an average of 45 antisemitic incidents per month, compared to an average of 52 incidents prior to the war in Israel and Gaza that summer increased to 84 in the six months after the fighting had ended, while the short conflict in May 2021 saw the average rise again from 121 incidents beforehand, to 148 incidents per month after. And looking at this current conflict, in the six months leading up to 7 October 2023, CST recorded an average of 162 incidents per month, whereas in the first half of 2024, an average of 330 anti-Jewish hate incidents were reported to CST.

As these figures show, the pattern has repeated itself but the scale this time is vastly different. Monthly incident averages have almost doubled in comparison to records pre-7 October, a far larger markup than those recorded in the examples listed above. One reason is that this war has lasted much longer than the previous cases mentioned, and has therefore attracted prolonged focus and scrutiny in the news and public opinion for a greater amount of time. Images of death, devastation and violence have continued to pervade media and online spaces, while anti-Israel demonstrations and vigils for the hostages held by Hamas have been organised weekend after weekend. As a result, the topic has remained firmly in the public’s attention and more people have been introduced to the issue. While this kind of media and political attention is valid and not, in itself, antisemitic, the correlation seen in the past between increased anti-Jewish incidents and heightened campaigning and media focus on conflicts involving Israel means that the longer that attention endures, so it should be expected that antisemitic incidents will continue at elevated levels.

Part of this public debate has even involved discussion and dispute about the very definition of anti-Jewish hate. In some cases, its validity as a critical concept has been challenged, which plays into the antisemitic trope that antisemitism is a victim card used and abused by Jews for social and political capital. These considerations, and the environment they have produced, have added to the anxiety and fear felt within the Jewish community since 7 October. One likely consequence of this, which should not be ignored when analysing the record total of antisemitic incidents in the first half of this year, is that this increased anxiety may make Jewish people more incentivised to report anti-Jewish hate when it occurs.

The fact that 1,026 – over half – of the 1,978 incidents recorded by CST from January to June 2024 contained rhetoric relating to Israel, Palestine and the war in Gaza shows how this subject matter has persisted in public discourse and become the predominant narrative of antisemitic hate this year. For comparison, there were 151 such incidents in the first half of 2023 – just 16% of that six-monthly total. This has also had an impact on the volume, proportion and content of online antisemitism recorded. Six hundred and thirty online cases of anti-Jewish hate were logged by CST, the highest number ever recorded in the first six months of any year, rising by 153% from the January to June period of 2023, when 249 online incidents made up 26% of the half-year total. The 630 online incidents in the first half of 2024 make up 32% of the overall figure, the highest proportion since 2020. Four hundred and forty-one (70%) of these 630 online incidents involved discourse relating to Israel and the Middle East, compared to 585 (43%) of the 1,348 ‘offline’ instances of antisemitism. Meanwhile, 556 (88%) of the online incidents showed evidence of at least one political, religious and antisemitic discourse, conspiracy theory, trope or ideology. This was the case in 845 (63%) of the ‘offline’ incidents. As this shows, the online world remains proportionally more likely to host politicised and extremist anti-Jewish hate.

Here, antisemites are able to gather, share their hateful values and have them reciprocated by like-minded individuals, with the security of anonymity and the physical separation from those they seek to harass. Too often, they are permitted to do so without meaningful sanction from the platforms on which they spread their prejudice.

There were 314 antisemitic incidents reported that took place on X; 82 via email; 74 on text or instant messaging fora, including those associated with social media platforms; 58 on Facebook; 38 on Instagram; nine on TikTok; three on Snapchat; three on Zoom; one on YouTube; one involved an anti-Jewish comment under an online article; one involved the hacking of a Jewish organisation’s printer, and 46 occurred on a range of other virtual sites. These figures only reflect the number of reports to CST involving each platform or medium, rather than being an assessment of the relative amount of antisemitism on each.

Five hundred and eighty-two of the 630 online cases of anti-Jewish hate reported in the first six months of 2024 fell into the category of Abusive Behaviour, while 44 were classed as Threats, three as antisemitic Literature, and one – the hacking – as Damage & Desecration. In 130 of these posts, the offender included antisemitic memes, images, graphics or cartoons..

In the first half of 2024, the two highest daily totals for antisemitic incidents recorded by CST were significantly bolstered by reports of online antisemitism. On 15 February, when CST published its Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023, CST logged 45 antisemitic incidents, 36 of which happened online. On 29 February, when the government confirmed the extension of the Protective Security Grant that CST manages for the provision of security to Jewish locations across the UK, 30 cases of anti-Jewish hate were reported, 18 of which took place online. It is ironic that, when the prejudice and physical threat facing the Jewish community are highlighted publicly, some of the responses that immediately emerge showcase the need for these issues to be raised and addressed. 

CST records each specific targeted online campaign as a single incident, because to record each piece of antisemitic online content as a separate incident would be unsustainable and cause extreme variations in CST’s incident totals, obstructing clear analysis of offline incidents. It is also worth bearing in mind that the number of online incidents in this report reflects the number of reports received by CST from victims, witnesses or other third parties, and does not include the vast amount of antisemitic material sifted and investigated by CST’s researchers as part of its wider work protecting the Jewish community from potential attack. Given the vast array of material posted and the variety of platforms across which it is circulated, an accurate figure for the actual amount of antisemitic content on social media would be impossible to quantify. Instead, this total highlights that online platforms continue to be a fertile ground for public expressions of antisemitism, sometimes culminating in coordinated campaigns against Jewish public figures and institutions.

It is difficult to gauge whether the pattern of historically high antisemitic incident figures observed by CST since 2016 is due to more incidents taking place in the UK, or the fact that people feel more comfortable, able and aware to report incidents to CST. The answer is likely to be a combination of both, although in the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack and subsequent war in Gaza, it is clear that external circumstances have initiated a genuine increase in anti-Jewish hate throughout the UK. A less tangible aspect of the general increase is the possible impact that the prevalence of media coverage and public debate about antisemitism may inadvertently have on actual hate actors. If there is a perception that the taboo against articulating hostility about or towards Jewish people is weakening, if antisemites believe that their prejudice is shared and communicated by others, then they may be more likely to feel emboldened in expressing their own anti-Jewish hatred.

Despite improvements in reporting, it is expected that antisemitic hate crimes and hate incidents are underreported, especially where the victims are minors or the incident is considered of ‘lesser’ impact by the victim. The statistics contained in this report should therefore be seen as indicative of general trends, rather than absolute measures of the number of incidents that took place. Answering why antisemitic incidents take place is not simple. Victim or witness evidence for what may have been a brief, traumatic experience can be vague and disjointed. Many incidents do not have a specific victim and the offender is often unknown, but it is still possible to analyse the data contained in the individual reports received by CST, and the picture they show is complex. In short, there is no single profile of an antisemitic incident victim or offender, nor is there a single explanation as to why antisemitism persists in modern society.

Antisemitic or anti-Israel?

CST is often asked about the difference between antisemitic incidents and antiIsrael activity, and how this distinction is made in the categorisation of incidents. The distinction between the two can be subtle and the subject of much debate. Clearly, it would not be acceptable to define all anti-Israel activity as antisemitic. Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that contemporary antisemitism can occur in the context of, or be accompanied by, extreme feelings over the Israel/Palestine conflict, and that hostility towards Israel may be expressed via, or motivated by, anti-Jewish rhetoric, stereotypes and conspiracy theories. Discourse relating to the conflict is used by antisemitic incident offenders to abuse Jews, and anti-Israel discourse can sometimes repeat, or echo, antisemitic language and imagery. For example, the terms “Zionist” and “Zionism” will often be used in arguments about Israel and the Middle East; sometimes they are used accurately and legitimately, and at other times they are deployed in an antisemitic way. CST must distinguish between the occasions when these terms are used in a purely political sense, and the times when they are abused as euphemisms for “Jewishness” and “Jews”. Similarly, the phrases “Zionist Lobby” and “Israel Lobby”, when they are deployed indiscriminately as a label for Jewish organisations and individuals regardless of whether they are relevant to the matter being discussed, connect the conspiracy theory that Jews have a disproportionate political power and influence, with the antisemitic trope that Jews are not to be trusted. Drawing out these distinctions, and deciding on where the dividing lines lie, is one of the most difficult areas of CST’s work in recording and analysing hate crime.

Sometimes the targeting of a particular incident can suggest an intention to intimidate or harass Jews on the part of the offender. For example, if anti-Israel posters or graffiti appear to have been deliberately placed close to a synagogue or other Jewish building, or in an area with a large Jewish population, then they are more likely to be classified as an antisemitic incident than if they are placed in a more general or neutral location. If anti-Israel material is sent unsolicited to a synagogue or other clearly Jewish venue at random then it may well be recorded as an antisemitic incident (because the synagogue was targeted on the basis of it being Jewish and the offender has failed to distinguish between a place of worship and pro-Israel political activity). Similarly, if cars draped in Palestinian flags are deliberately driven through the heart of Jewish communities, or shouts of “Free Palestine”, or comments and questions demanding an opinion on the Middle East are directed at Jewish people – simply because they are perceived to be Jewish – it will also be considered an antisemitic incident.

If, however, anti-Israel material (containing no antisemitic language) is sent unsolicited to specifically pro-Israel organisations, then this incident would not be classified as antisemitic. Similarly, if a Jewish individual or group engaging in public pro-Israel advocacy subsequently receives anti-Israel material, comments or questions, this would most likely not be classified as antisemitic (unless, again, it contains antisemitic language).

The political discourse used in an incident may also be the reason why it is accepted or rejected as antisemitic. In particular, incidents that equate Israel to Nazi Germany would normally be recorded as antisemitic because the comparison is so deeply hurtful and abusive, using Israel’s self-definition as a Jewish state as the basis for the insult. However, language that compares Israel to, for example, apartheid South Africa would not normally be recorded as an antisemitic incident by CST. While the charge that Israel practises apartheid upsets many Jews, it does not contain the same visceral capacity to offend as the comparison with Nazism, which carries particular meaning for Jews because of the Holocaust; nor does it play on Israel’s Jewishness as a way of causing hurt. 

CST recorded 1,026 antisemitic incidents that referenced or were related to Israel, Palestine and the situation in the Middle East from January to June 2024. Eight hundred and thirty-six antisemitic incidents evidenced anti-Zionist political motivation alongside the antisemitism, while the terms “Zionist” or “Zionism” were employed in 208 incidents. In 186 cases, the offender made a direct comparison between Israel and the Nazis. Irrespective of whether or not anti-Israel incidents are classified as antisemitic by CST, they are still relevant to CST’s security work and victim support as they may involve threats and abuse directed at Jewish people or organisations who work with – or in support of – Israel, and therefore have an impact on the safety of the UK Jewish community.

Incident Categories

4

Extreme Violence

CST recorded one incident of Extreme Violence in the first six months of 2024, compared to none in the first halves of 2023 and 2022, two between January and June 2021, and one in the first half of 2020. This single report involved alleged arson at a residential property.

Assault

CST recorded 121 incidents in the category of Assault during the first half of 2024, an increase of 41% from the 86 incidents of this kind reported in the first six months of 2023. There were 75 Assaults reported from January to June 2022, 89 in the first half of 2021, and 52 in the first six months of 2020. In 26 violent incidents in the first half of 2024, the offender threw eggs, stones, bricks, bottles or other objects at the victim, and 16 of these projectiles were launched from a passing vehicle. In 25 instances, the victim was punched or kicked, while in 19 cases, the victim was spat at. In 16 attacks, the perpetrator stripped the victim of religious clothes or accessories; on five occasions, the offender fired a non-lethal gun at the victim; one incident involved a knife; and on one occasion, a vehicle was used to physically endanger pedestrians. Seventy-three of these attacks were accompanied by verbal abuse, and nine contained an element of threatening language.

These 121 assaults on Jewish people constitute the highest ever half-year total recorded in this category, but form just 6% of the overall antisemitic incident total in the first six months of 2024, down from 9% of the incidents reported in the first six months of 2023. Notably, in 2023, up to 7 October violent incidents made up 8% of the overall figure, but fell to 5% of the total from 7 October to the end of the year. This suggests that the sustained high levels of antisemitism in the UK that can be attributed to reactions to Hamas’ attack on Israel have been expressed at a higher rate through verbal or written abuse, threats and acts of vandalism, than through acts of physical violence.

In line with previous years, violent antisemitic assaults predominantly happened in the areas where the Jewish community is most deeply established, populous and visible. Of the 122 antisemitic incidents classed as Extreme Violence or Assault, 45% occurred in just four boroughs: Barnet (28) and Hackney (12) in Greater London, and Bury and Salford (seven each) in Greater Manchester.5 These regions are home to some of the largest and most identifiable Jewish communities in the UK. The existence of these communities may be perceived by the offenders as a symbolic threat to what they believe to be their own culture and territory, or as people so distinct from their own experience that they become easy to dehumanise, degrade and desecrate. Or they might just be easily identifiable targets, providing perpetrators with a certainty of who and what they are attacking, and the maximum potential for gratification. Indeed, at least 59 of these acts of violence targeted people who were visibly identifiable as Jewish, usually on account of their religious insignia, traditional clothing or Jewish school uniform.

Child-on-child antisemitic violence remains a significant concern. Of the incidents in the category of Assault where CST obtained the victim or victims’ age, 37% targeted minors.6 Of those where the approximate age of the offender or offenders was provided, 37% were also perpetrated by minors. These are higher than the percentages recorded across all other categories, in which 21% of the incidents where the victim’s age was given targeted minors, and 18% of the incidents where offender’s age was obtained were perpetrated by minors. Allowing for slight fluctuation year-on-year, these proportions are consistent with those reported since the first six months of 2021, when an intensification of war in the Middle East sparked a wave of antisemitic responses in the UK, and a significant upswing in school-related anti-Jewish hate. Of the 122 acts of physical antisemitic violence reported between January and June 2024, 21 (17%) were perpetrated by children against children.

Damage & Desecration to Jewish Property

There were 83 instances of Damage & Desecration to Jewish property recorded by CST in the first half of 2024, a rise of 246% from the 24 incidents of this kind reported across the corresponding timeframe in 2023. This is the highest ever January-to-June figure recorded in this category. There were 30 incidents of this kind reported over the first six months of 2022, 59 between January and June 2021, and 33 in the first half of 2020. Twenty-six of these saw damage done to the homes and vehicles of Jewish people, 20 to posters of the hostages captured by Hamas, 11 to Jewish businesses and organisations, seven to synagogues, two to Jewish schools, two to kosher food aisles at a supermarket, and one to a public menorah (candelabra used during the festival of Chanukah).

In 37 of the 83 instances of Damage & Desecration, the offender used graffiti, daubing, stickers or posters of an antisemitic nature to deface the Jewish target (23 of which were related to events in the Middle East), while eggs, stones, bricks or other projectiles were thrown at Jewish property to cause damage on ten occasions (twice from a passing vehicle). Eight cases involved the destruction or removal of a mezuzah (a Jewish prayer scroll affixed to a building’s entrance), there were three in which the offender spat at Jewish property, two incidents resulting in broken windows, two wherein non-kosher food was left on Jewish property, one involving the smashing down of the door to a Jewish home, one in which a synagogue security camera was hit with a hammer, and one instance of arson. CST recorded one additional example in which the printers at a Jewish-owned business were hacked and used to print anti-Israel documents. All included some element of anti-Jewish focus, language, targeting or imagery to be counted as antisemitic by CST.

Threats

CST recorded 142 direct antisemitic Threats or incitements to violence against Jewish people between January and June 2024, an increase of 158% from the 55 incidents of this sort reported in the first half of 2023. This is a record for the first six months of any year. Fifty-two incidents were recorded for this category in the first half of 2022, 87 from January to June 2021, and 45 in the opening half of 2020.

Forty of the 142 Threats were made in public, while 13 were directed at people in their homes, and 15 were aimed at Jewish businesses or organisations. Eleven targeted synagogues and one was against a congregant on their way to a service. Eight occurred in the sphere of higher education; five were issued to Jewish schools, five within the context of nonJewish schools, and four to schoolchildren on their way to or from their place of education. Public figures were threatened in a further four incidents. Forty-four of the incidents in this category were written on online platforms, 20 were delivered via phone call or message, and there were 12 bomb threats reported.7

Abusive Behaviour

There were 1,618 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the category of Abusive Behaviour in the first half of 2024, comprising 82% of the overall total of 1,978 incidents and a 104% increase from the 792 instances of Abusive Behaviour recorded between January and June 2023. It is the highest ever six-monthly total reported in this category and surpasses the annual figure across all categories in all but six years. There were 662 counts of Abusive Behaviour in the first half of 2022, 1,129 from January to June 2021, and 739 over the same timeframe in 2020. The umbrella of Abusive Behaviour spans multiple modus operandi, including the full range of written and verbal abuse, the latter of which can be in-person or delivered through phone calls and voicemails. This category also includes antisemitic emails, text messages, direct messages, social media posts and comments, as well as targeted hate mail that is not produced and disseminated on a mass scale, and antisemitic graffiti on, or damage to, non-Jewish property.

In 437 of the Abusive Behaviour incidents reported, the victims were Jewish people in public, and visibly Jewish in at least 193 cases. Jewish businesses and organisations were the target of 295 incidents in this category, while public figures – Jewish and not – were subjected to antisemitism on 72 occasions. One hundred and twenty-five of these incidents related to the school sector, 81 to the university sector, and abuse was directed at synagogues or congregants travelling to or from their place of worship in 83 instances. Fifty Abusive Behaviour cases involved the harassment of victims in their own homes, and 19 in the workplace.

Among the 1,618 incidents in this category, 679 involved spoken abuse and 635 written abuse, while 88 contained generic threatening or intimidating language without making a direct threat to a specific Jewish person, institution or community. There were 253 instances of antisemitic graffiti, daubing, stickers or posters on non-Jewish property, of which 155 included swastikas or other references to Hitler, the Nazis or the Holocaust and 100 were related to Israel and the war in the Middle East, while 49 combined both discourses. On 160 occasions, anti-Jewish images, memes or cartoons were used to cause offence. One hundred and eighty-two reports in this category involved offensive shouts or gestures in public, 146 of which emanated from passing vehicles. Sixty two abusive phone calls or voice messages were made, and there were 20 examples of one-off hate mail that are not believed to have been mass-produced and distributed. 

Of the 1,618 incidents classed as Abusive Behaviour, 582 occurred online, forming 36% of the category’s total. These comprise the majority of the 630 online antisemitic incidents recorded across all categories, the most ever reported in the January-to-June period, rising from the 249 online incidents recorded in the first six months of 2023, of which 234 fell into this category. The record high level of online anti-Jewish hate reported, largely prompted by reactions to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, is a reminder of the role that the growing number of social media and instant messaging platforms play in contemporary antisemitism. Here, antisemites are given room to produce, disseminate and amplify their prejudice, and have that prejudice affirmed by like-minded individuals. Their hatred can be propelled globally, indiscriminately or directly to a target, with the possibility of anonymity. Antisemitism will continue to find expression in these virtual spaces as long as those platforms do not prioritise the task of tackling hate speech.

There are consequences for online anti-Jewish hate. Every post, comment, message, meme and video carries the potential for incitement to offline activity, and dilutes the taboo against publicly expressing hatred of Jewish people. If this taboo is perceived to be weakening, then antisemitism will manifest more freely both virtually and in person. In the context of the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, this is evident in the correlation between the abundance of online discussion, information and misinformation about the conflict, the extremity of the language and rage regarding the subject, and the parallel record volume of antisemitic incidents across the UK.

Literature

There were 13 incidents reported to CST in the category of mass-produced antisemitic Literature in the first half of 2024, an increase of 86% from seven such incidents reported in the first six months of 2023, and the second highest figure ever logged for this category in the January-to-June period. CST recorded four instances of Literature distribution in the first half of 2022, five between January and June 2021, and five in the corresponding period of 2020.

In three of the antisemitic incidents recorded in this category over the first six months of 2024, the offender spammed Jewish organisations, synagogues and schools with antisemitic emails; on three separate occasions, identical stickers glorifying Adolf Hitler were seen on lampposts in London; a further three cases involved pro-Palestinian leaflets specifically and deliberately posted through the doors of Jewish homes, made identifiable by mezuzahs. In one instance, a letter was sent to multiple Jewish organisations accusing Jews of destroying Palestine; in another, an antisemitic leaflet was handed around a pro-Palestine demonstration depicting a girl wearing a Star of David being kicked by a man with a Palestinian flag; in one example, multiple people had a fake bank card posted through their doors titled Israeli Holocaust Card. Finally, there was one report of an edition of Oliver Twist prescribed as school reading material in which Fagin was illustrated with the features of an overtly antisemitic caricature.

CASE STUDY

Hate mail sent to Jewish organisations in Manchester & Leeds

In January, Jewish community organisations in Greater Manchester and Leeds received identical hate mail, blaming Jewish people for the war in the Middle East, and comparing Israel to Nazis.

Incident Victims

The victims of antisemitic incidents come from the whole spectrum of the Jewish community: from strictly orthodox to liberal, reform and secular Jews; from the largest Jewish communities to small, isolated communities across the UK; from Jewish schoolchildren to Members of Parliament. Occasionally, antisemitism will also be directed at people who do not identify as Jewish.

There were 586 antisemitic incidents reported to CST in the first six months of 2024 in which the victims were ordinary Jewish individuals in public. In at least 250 of these, they were visibly Jewish on account of their traditional clothing, Jewish school uniforms, jewellery, insignia or other items bearing religious symbols. There was an element of spoken abuse in 841 of the 1,978 incidents recorded by CST between January and June 2024, of which 127 incorporated threatening language. Anti-Jewish hate was conveyed through shouts or gestures by random strangers in public in 205 instances, of which 165 were perpetrated by the occupant of a vehicle. These modus operandi are broadly indicative of the most common single type of offline incident reported to CST since the organisation began compiling statistics: the random, unprovoked, verbal harassment of strangers who are presumed for whatever reason to be Jewish, as they go about their daily lives in public spaces that often have a large footfall of Jewish people.

When Israel is at war, the frequency and language of these incidents are noticeably influenced by events. Of the 841 cases of verbal antisemitic abuse recorded during the first half of 2024, 391 involved references to events in the Middle East alongside anti-Jewish language or targeting. In at least 155 of these, the phrase “Free Palestine” was employed, including at least 114 occasions when it was directed at random Jewish members of the public. Although this phrase is not in itself antisemitic, these 155 incidents are examples of it being deployed specifically to harass, threaten and alarm Jewish people or organisations that were singled out because they are Jewish. In those particular circumstances, “Free Palestine” takes on the tenor of an antisemitic slogan.

In the first half of 2024, there were 30 antisemitic incidents recorded at Jewish schools, compared to 17 between January and June 2023. A further 51 incidents involved Jewish schoolchildren away from school premises, often on their commute to or from home, compared to 30 incidents of this type reported across the same period in 2023. CST recorded 81 incidents involving schoolchildren or staff at non-Jewish schools, rising from the 27 such cases logged in the first six months of 2023. This comprises a total of 162 incidents affecting people and buildings in the school sector, a record January-to-June figure, rising by 119% from the 74 such incidents reported in the first half of 2023.

Of the 162 antisemitic incidents affecting schools, pupils and staff, 16 came under the category of Assault (14 targeting schoolchildren on their way to or from school, and two in which children were attacked by classmates at non-Jewish schools); five incidents were classified as Damage & Desecration to Jewish property; 14 involved direct Threats (five to Jewish schools, five to Jewish pupils at non-faith schools, and four to schoolchildren on their commute); there were 125 instances of Abusive Behaviour; finally, two incidents were recorded as mass-produced Literature.

Within school-related incidents, the proportional shift towards reports of anti-Jewish hate at non-Jewish schools is a trend that CST usually observes when Israel is engaged in war. In the first six months of 2023, 36% of school-related incidents occurred at non-faith schools, while 50% did from January to June 2024. When tensions are high in the Middle East, they are exacerbated in the educational spaces that Jewish and non-Jewish teachers and pupils share, with some children directing their feelings of hostility about Israel towards classmates and staff as the most accessible proxy targets. Israel related narratives were present in 43% of the school-related antisemitic incidents reported to CST, making it the single most prevalent discourse in that sector. In the first half of 2024, several Jewish teachers, pupils and parents reached out to CST, fearful for their own or their children’s safety at schools where the environment had become aggressive. This perhaps mirrors the worries of the wider Jewish community in the UK, who feels vulnerable to bearing the brunt of anti-Israel sentiment, particularly in places where they are a small and exposed minority. 

An increase in anti-Jewish hate was also reported in the sphere of higher education. In the first half of 2024, 96 antisemitic incidents were recorded as affecting Jewish students, academics, student unions or other student bodies, or were perpetrated by people involved in the university sector. This is a rise of 465% from the 17 incidents of this type reported between January and June 2023, and is a record figure for this period. Of these 96 university-related incidents, two were classified as Assault, five as Damage & Desecration, eight as Threats, and 81 as Abusive Behaviour. Forty-four of them took place on campus or university property, compared to 11 in the first six months of the previous year, while 52 occurred away from campus, of which 45 were online.

The upswing in university-related incidents is consistent with patterns recorded in previous years with conflicts involving Israel. Seventy (73%) of the 96 anti-Jewish hate incidents that happened within a university context involved references to Israel, Palestine and the war, compared to 52% of all incidents nationally. This disparity cannot be attributed to a single reason, but several aspects of university life may be pertinent in assessing why this subject matter is represented disproportionately often in the language of university-based antisemitism. Universities are often close-knit and insular communities, where discourse concerning politics, identity and contemporary affairs is encouraged and facilitated by the university structure itself. Additionally, the longstanding tradition of student anti-Israel activism can contribute towards an environment in which some individuals may feel encouraged or emboldened to respond to the current war in the Middle East in an antisemitic way. However, the way that reports of antiJewish hate increase in those environments in correlation with conflict in the Middle East may also be influenced by a desire to belong to a cause, as well as the proliferation of simplistic and antagonistic online content around the topic of Israel and Gaza.

There were 76 antisemitic incidents recorded from January to June 2024 that targeted synagogues (including buildings, staff and congregants while at the location), exceeding the 30 incidents of this kind in the first half of 2023. An additional 38 incidents saw congregants or staff targeted on their way to or from prayer services, compared to 16 such incidents reported to CST in the first six months of 2023. This represents a 148% increase in instances of anti-Jewish hate impacting synagogues and the people travelling to, from, or already inside them, from 46 in the opening half of 2023 to 114 in the first six months of 2024. Ten of these incidents were classed as Assault, while seven involved the Damage & Desecration of synagogue property. There were 12 cases of direct Threats made (ten to Jewish places of worship and two to congregants in public), 83 incidents classified as Abusive Behaviour, and two as Literature. Twenty-eight of the incidents directed at synagogues involved perpetrators verbally abusing or threatening people over the phone or leaving an antisemitic voicemail. Never before has CST recorded so many cases of anti-Jewish hate targeting synagogues during the first half of a year. Synagogues are places of prayer and communal activity, and identifiable signifiers of Jewish presence. As such, attacking them is an attack on Jewish life in the UK.

Twenty-one antisemitic incidents were related to the workplace, up from ten incidents of this nature reported in the first half of 2023. There were a record 325 incidents that targeted Jewish organisations and businesses, rising by 400% from the 65 such incidents recorded from January to June 2023. CST and other communal organisations have continued to attract online hate from people who blame Jewish people and institutions for circumstances in the Middle East. Of the 325 such incidents reported, 250 (77%) contained language relating to Israel and Gaza, and 64 (20%) involved tropes alleging disproportionate Jewish power in the world. In the first six months of 2024, the highest daily totals were reported on days when CST made significant public announcements, which other Jewish organisations also shared online. CST recorded 45 antisemitic incidents on 15 February, 36 of which occurred online and 34 of which targeted Jewish institutions, when CST published its Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023. Thirty antisemitic incidents were reported on 29 February, 18 of which happened online and 15 of which targeted Jewish institutions, when the government announced the extension of the Protective Security Grant that pays for commercial security guards at Jewish schools and synagogues across the country (CST manages this grant in partnership with the Home Office).

Of the 325 incidents in which Jewish businesses and organisations were victims, 262 (81%) occurred online, illustrating how their virtual footprint affords increased opportunity for antisemitic attack. This is also true of public figures, who were targeted in 76 cases of antiJewish hate throughout the first six months of 2024, 71 (93%) of which were online. It constitutes a rise of 154% from the 28 incidents reported to have been perpetrated against high profile individuals between January and June 2023. Fifty-six of the incidents targeting people of public prominence included discourse about the war in the Middle East, while 24 used conspiracy theories about global Jewish control. This highlights how public figures, politicians and institutions in the UK – Jewish and non-Jewish – are held accountable for Israel’s alleged actions. In some instances, they are charged with collusion in antisemitic conspiracy myths that suggest that Israel has bought their support and wields power through their complicity.

CST recorded 97 incidents that took place at people’s residential property or affected their parked vehicles in the first half of 2024. This is a rise of 45% from the 67 incidents of this type that occurred in the first six months of 2023. Thirty-two of these were perpetrated by a neighbour or somebody known to the victim, forming part of the 151 instances of anti-Jewish hate wherein the victim and offender had some kind of relationship to one another prior to the incident. These “interpersonal” cases comprise 8% of all the antisemitic incidents reported to CST from January to June 2024, rising from 76 recorded over the corresponding period last year.

There were ten antisemitic incidents reported to CST in the first half of 2024 that were in some way related to professional football, falling by 140% from the 24 such incidents recorded between January and June 2023. Of these, two involved racist abuse inside a stadium, three were reports of anti-Jewish hate in a non-stadium environment, and five were online incidents. A further 12 incidents were reported in the context of amateur football, double the six recorded over the same timeframe in 2023.

CST received a description of the victim or victims’ gender in 1,046 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first half of 2024. Of these, 560 (53%) were male; 405 (39%) were female; in 79 incidents (8%), the victims were mixed groups of males and females; in two incidents, the victims identified as non-binary.

The victim or victims’ age was ascertained in 1,055 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents reported to CST from January to June 2024. Of these, 821 (78%) involved adult victims, of which 23 were over the age of 65; 178 (17%) involved victims who were minors; in 56 instances (5%), mixed groups of adults and minors were targeted. These proportions are consistent with the percentages reported since 2021, when the intensification of violence in the Middle East prompted a higher volume of anti-Jewish activity affecting schoolchildren and staff. The result was a rise in the number and percentage of child victims of anti-Jewish hate compared to 2020, when school closures due to Covid-19 had limited the potential for minors to be exposed to this hatred. These levels, while slightly varying year-on-year, have remained at a similar level ever since. Strikingly, of the 234 incidents in which victims were under the age of 18, 38 (16%) were classified as Assault, whereas of the 877 incidents targeting adults, 70 (8%) fell into that category.

Incident Offenders

It is not always easy to ascertain the ethnicity, gender or age of antisemitic incident offenders. Many face-to-face incidents involve fleeting, nonverbal, public encounters in which the offenders may not be fully visible or leave the scene quickly. Victim and witness testimonies may be vague and disjointed, which is understandable given the nature of the ordeal that they have experienced. Some incidents do not involve face-to-face contact, and it is therefore not always possible to obtain a physical description of the perpetrator. Furthermore, those who commit antisemitic offences online may choose to completely anonymise themselves, which makes it almost impossible to garner any information about the person behind the abuse. On the other hand, if social media profiles are not anonymised, they can provide some personal details of offenders, such as a name, photograph or approximate location.

While it is possible to collect data regarding the ethnic appearance of incident offenders, this data is not direct evidence of the offenders’ religious affiliations. The content of an antisemitic letter may reveal the motivation of the offender, but it would be a mistake to assume the ethnicity or religion of a hate mail sender solely on the basis of the discourse they employ.

CST received a description of the ethnic appearance of the offender or offenders in 624 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first half of 2024. Of these, 265 (42%) were described as white – North European; 10 (2%) as white – South European; 75 (12%) as black; 85 (14%) as South Asian; three (less than 1%) as Southeast Asian; finally, 186 (30%) were described as Arab or North African. It is unusual for the percentage of incident perpetrators described as other than white to be higher than 50%, and some of these percentages are strikingly different from January to June 2023, when 47% were described as white – North European; 3% as white – South European; 17% as black; 13% as South Asian; less than 1% as Southeast Asian; and 20% as Arab or North African. This fits a pattern seen in previous years when Israel was at war. A similar change in the relative proportions of incident offenders’ ethnicities was observed in 2021, when the previous Israel-Hamas war occurred and again, the proportion of offenders in the first half of that year described as white fell below 50%. This suggests that the sustained high volume of anti-Jewish hate during the first half of 2024 has come from parts of the population that are not typically the predominant perpetrators of antisemitic incidents, but who have been motivated to carry out incidents due to the prevailing situation in the Middle East. It is important to bear in mind that these details rely on the subjective and often fleeting judgement of victims and witnesses, made in what can be brief, disorienting and distressing encounters.

A description of the gender of the offender or offenders was obtained by CST in 1,090 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first half of 2024. Of these, the offender was described as male in 837 incidents (77%, compared to 84% in the first half of 2023); female in 227 incidents (21%, up from 14% from January to June 2023); and mixed groups of males and females in 26 incidents (2%, equal to the same timeframe last year). The upswing in the proportion of female offenders may reflect the impact of war in the Middle East on anti-Jewish discourse in the UK. Of the 227 incidents to feature exclusively female perpetrators, 67% made reference to Israel, Gaza and the conflict, while 61% were explicitly anti-Zionist. For incidents with exclusively male offenders, these figures were 54% and 43% respectively. There is no obvious reason why women might be more likely than men to engage in anti-Israel or anti-Zionist rhetoric alongside antisemitism in the incidents recorded by CST.  

In 1,014 of the 1,978 reports of anti-Jewish hate between January and June 2024, CST was provided with a description of the approximate age of the offender or offenders. Of these, 819 (81%) involved adult offenders, of which 19 involved adults described as over the age of 65; in 192 cases (19%) the perpetrators were minors; and there were three instances (less than 1%) in which offenders were a mixture of adults and minors. These percentages are consistent with those recorded since 2021, when the escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas sparked a high volume of anti-Jewish activity affecting schoolchildren and staff, and antisemitism perpetrated by children increased as a proportion of the whole.

Discourse, Motivation & Ideology

CST attempts to assess the number and patterns of antisemitic incidents that take place in the UK each year in which there is evidence of political, religious, or ideological discourse or motivation. CST also counts the instances where conspiracy-fuelled sentiments are present. Stereotypical tropes about Jewish people’s power, influence, and money – and exaggerating or inventing the tragedies of the Holocaust – can be especially prevalent in online expressions of antisemitism. It is common for two or more of these discourses to exist within the same incident, even if they would seem ideologically incompatible. Such apparent contradictions perfectly capture the multifaceted nature of contemporary antiJewish hate. In total, 1,409 (71%) of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the first half of 2024 presented evidence of one or more political or ideological discourses or motivations. In contrast, from January to June 2023, they were present in 516 (54%) of 964 incidents. This increase in political language and motivations is another indicator of the impact of the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza on the content of antisemitism in the UK.

Historic, simplistic prejudices have been manipulated and deployed by such a vast array of social, religious, cultural and political forces over such a long period of time, that a complex and layered landscape of antisemitic language, imagery and references now exists. Partly as a consequence of this, the use of a certain rhetoric does not necessarily evidence a specific motivation or allegiance: for example, a person who shouts “Heil Hitler” at a Jewish passer-by might align themselves with far-right extremist ideology, or they might simply know that this phrase will cause upset and offence to Jewish people. Similarly, someone who shouts “Free Palestine” at people walking to synagogue may be a staunch campaigner for Palestinian liberation, or perhaps they just consider it another weapon in their rhetorical arsenal to deploy against Jews. 

Israel-related antisemitism

In the first half of 2024, the discourse most often reported in antisemitic incidents involved references to Israel, Palestine, the Hamas terror attack on 7 October or the ensuing war. This rhetoric was present in 1,026 (52%) of the 1,978 instances of anti-Jewish hate recorded by CST from January to June 2024, a significant rise of 547% from the first six months of 2023 – a period without a trigger event in the Middle East – when 151 cases of this kind made up 16% of the half-year figure. In 836 cases, making up 42% of all reports, explicitly anti-Zionist beliefs or motivation were evidenced, while the terms “Zionism” or “Zionist” were used on 208 occasions, often as bywords for “Jewishness” and “Jew” or alongside antisemitic ideas or targeting (compared to 92 and 47 incidents respectively in the first six months of 2023). In at least 210 instances, the phrase “Free Palestine” was employed, either in speech or writing. CST does not regard this in itself as an antisemitic slogan but, in each of these cases, it was targeted at Jewish people or institutions – who had not solicited discussion about the Middle East – simply for being Jewish, or comprised part of a larger tirade that did include blatantly anti-Jewish hate.  

Holocaust-related antisemitism

In 500 incidents – 25% of the 1,978 instances of antisemitism reported to CST in the first half of 2024 – the offender or offenders made reference to Hitler, the Nazis, the Holocaust, and/or punctuated their abuse with a Nazi salute, the depiction of a swastika, or other related imagery. This is an increase of 66% from the 302 incidents using this rhetoric in the first half of 2023, but is a lower proportion of the overall total, as 31% of incidents from January to June 2023 used this type of discourse. Nazi-related language and imagery is typically the dominant single narrative type during periods without an Israel-related trigger event. In 37 of the 500 incidents of this nature in the first half of 2024, the perpetrator denied either the scale of the Holocaust, the facts of the Holocaust, or its having happened at all (up from the 28 such cases recorded in the first six months of 2023). 

Sixty-one reports involved celebration of the Holocaust, the glorification of its architects and/or their ideas, or the expressed desire for the mass industrialised extermination of Jewish people to repeat (rising from the 33 incidents of this type logged between January and June 2023). On four occasions, the offender simultaneously denied and celebrated the Holocaust, a paradox that sums up the confusion and illogic that can exist in the minds of antisemites. In 175 of these 500 instances of Nazi-related hate, abuse was graffitied, daubed, scratched, stuck or printed on public or private property, usually incorporating the illustration of a swastika. There were 63 cases wherein far right allegiance or political motivation were present, 46 of which were accompanied by Nazi-era references, increasing from 53 and 34 such incidents respectively in the first half of 2023. On 186 occasions, the offender made a direct equivalence between Israel and Nazi Germany, rising substantially from 28 such parallels drawn in the opening six months of last year. Incidents involving this comparison are counted among the totals for both Israel and Holocaust-related antisemitism, bridging the two most popular discourses deployed by purveyors of anti-Jewish hate in the January-to-June window.

Religiously motivated antisemitism

CST recorded 73 incidents containing rhetoric relating to Islam, Muslims and Islamist groups alongside antisemitism, increasing from nine reported in the first half of 2023. There was also a surge observed in those involving Islamist extremist ideology, with 37 reported compared to four between January and June 2023. These rises demonstrate the impact of circumstances in the Middle East on the content of anti-Jewish hate in the UK, with certain discourses represented with much greater frequency than during times when Israel is not at war. Of the 37 Islamist incidents, 27 were in reference to the conflict, either showing support for Hamas and the 7 October terror attack or advocating for its repetition in the future. An additional 17 instances of anti-Jewish hate featured another religious ideology, falling from 21 in the first six months of 2023.

Conspiracy theories

Antisemitic conspiracy theories were evident in 238 (12%) of the 1,978 incidents recorded in the first six months of 2024, marking a rise from 90 between January and June 2023. Of these, 162 alleged Jewish influence, nationally or globally, over politics, media, finance, migration and other walks of life (compared to 84 in the first half of 2023); 62 promoted falsehoods regarding religious rituals and practices, such as the ritual murder or ‘Blood Libel’ charge (up from three from January to June 2023); and seven involved myths regarding the origins of Jewishness in attempts to undermine the legitimacy of any notion of a modern Jewish identity (up from two in the corresponding timeframe in 2023).

Antisemitism targeting customs & texts

There were 53 incidents in which specific aspects of Judaism were attacked or purposely mischaracterised in an antisemitic way, up from 15 such incidents reported in the first six months of 2023. Among these, 26 manipulated ideas taken from religious scripture (more than the eight recorded in the first half of 2023); 18 singled out religious literature and holy books (whereas one did from January to June 2023); and nine focused on religious traditions and practices (compared to six in the first six months of 2023). In 158 cases, the perpetrator resorted to anti-Jewish stereotypes, caricatures or dehumanising language and imagery, higher than the 55 such incidents over the same period in 2023. There was one additional example of antisemitic abuse towards specific ethnic groups that exist within the Jewish community, equal to the number recorded in the first half of 2023.

Politically motivated antisemitism

Antisemitic incidents are classified as connected to specific political parties based on the offender’s stated affiliation or support; because the abuse was targeted at, or expressed by, party members, activists or representatives; or because an incident appeared to be motivated by news stories related to that party. It is often not possible to ascertain whether the offenders are themselves party members or not; in some cases, they have been expelled from their former party but continue to express antisemitism in relation to it. These caveats mean that these totals are not indicators of the relative amounts of antisemitism within, or tolerated by, each political party. With that in mind, 35 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the first half of 2024 were connected to specific political parties or their supporters, or to issues in mainstream politics. Twenty were linked to the Labour Party, five to the Workers Party of Britain, two to the Conservative Party, one to the Green Party, one to the Liberal Democrats, one to the Socialist Workers Party, one to the National Housing Party UK, and four to independent parliamentary candidates and councillors. Seven of these incidents occurred after the General Election was called, and were linked to the election campaigns that followed. This is an increase from the 28 incidents associated with mainstream politics reported between January and June 2023, when 26 were Labour Party related, one was Conservative Party-related, and one linked to both the Scottish Labour Party and the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Seventeen of the 20 anti-Jewish hate incidents related to the Labour Party in the first half of this year also contained discourse relating to the Middle East: in six of them, Keir Starmer and/or his party were criticised using antisemitic language for their position on Israel or implied to be under Israel’s control, while five suggested that Jeremy Corbyn’s expulsion from the party was the result of a Jewish ploy to oust him with false claims of antisemitism.

The proportion of incidents including discourse concerning Israel and the Middle East – over half of the 1,978 reported to CST in the first six months of 2024 – reflects the interplay between antisemitism’s enduring nature and its ability to respond to external circumstances. Anti-Jewish rhetoric relating to Israel offers an exemplary case study of the chameleonic nature of antisemitism itself. Antisemites across history have adapted their prejudice in adjustment with their social, political and cultural contemporary landscapes to give it newfound “relevance”, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East provides just such a focal point. It should be noted that many of these novel expressions of antisemitism since 7 October are, in fact, adjustments, reworkings and amplifications of longstanding antisemitic tropes. For example, of the 62 incidents wherein the offender perpetuated conspiracies about Jewish religious rituals, 54 combined the centuries old myth of the Blood Libel 8 with a loathing for Israel, holding ordinary British Jewish people accountable for the death of innocent civilians in Gaza by accusing them of mutilating and killing infants (CST only records such incidents when this allegation is directed at Jewish people in Britain rather than at the Israeli state, or when this allegation is made at the Israeli state and is accompanied by other antisemitic language or imagery). While it is impossible to determine whether every perpetrator is directly aware of this canard’s origins, the central notions that underpin classical antisemitism have been emphasised so frequently and publicly that they have become embedded into wider public consciousness and provide a blueprint for an individual seeking to turn their anger upon the Jews. This specific rhetoric relating to the Blood Libel only appeared in three incidents over the corresponding period in 2023, two in 2022, 12 in 2021 and 11 in 2020.

Similarly, 130 of the 162 antisemitic incidents containing references to disproportionate Jewish power in the world did so in the context of Israel. These offenders not only blamed Israel, Zionism and/or Jewish people for the war in Gaza and its consequences, but for a wide array of activities in the world including political corruption, economic manipulation, migration control and 9/11. Once again, these tropes sprout from well established foundations of anti-Jewish hate, where Jews are considered a uniquely evil and unfathomably powerful cabal loyal only to their own interests. In the 130 such incidents reported, these traditional antisemitic ideas were straightforwardly transposed onto Israel and the concept of Zionism, fueling and legitimising their hatred towards that country through antisemitic rhetoric.

The opportunistic cognitive dissonance of contemporary antisemitism is also clear when examining the intersection of Israel- and Holocaust-related discourses. Such examples are found in the 186 antisemitic incidents where the offender equated the war in Gaza with the Holocaust. This analogy, made by those who implicitly acknowledge that the Holocaust was a tragedy in its own right, deliberately abuses its memory and the trauma that it represents for Jewish people. Here, the Holocaust functions as a means to selectively taunt Jews over their perceived accountability for the death of innocent Gazan civilians, or to suggest that Jews are weaponising the history of the Holocaust to inflict further harm. Such comparisons ultimately minimise the singularity and severity of both events. These features are also apparent in the 17 antisemitic incidents that celebrated the Holocaust alongside anti-Israel rhetoric. In these instances, perpetrators either glorified 7 October as an aspirational sequel to the Nazi genocide of Jews, or they lamented Hitler’s failure to completely eliminate the Jewish population and thereby prevent Israel’s existence and its response to Hamas’ attack. Anti-Israel and anti-Zionist ideology is often assumed to emanate from the far left, but these examples prove that those who sympathise with Nazi ideologies also harnessed this situation and related discourse for their own antisemitic agendas. Hatred of Jews unites people from seemingly disparate social and political strata and encourages them to find commonality over their otherwise extreme differences. 

The examples explored in this chapter illustrate the complexity of contemporary anti-Jewish hatred, and the trouble encountered when tackling it. It is a hatred that resuscitates and regurgitates numerous myths, stereotypes, narratives and fantasies that function as reference points for people across the sociopolitical spectrum, who readily repackage and repurpose them according to personal worldview and opportunity. Of the 1,409 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST from January to June 2024 that featured at least one of the political, religious and racist discourses, conspiracy theories, tropes and ideologies explored earlier in this chapter, 198 (14%) combined two or more of them.

Geographical Locations

Of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the opening six months of 2024, 1,305 occurred across Greater London and Greater Manchester, the two UK cities where the largest Jewish populations reside.

In the former, 1,037 incidents were reported, marking a rise of 120% from the 471 incidents recorded in Greater London from January to June 2023. Greater Manchester’s half-year total of 268 incidents constitutes an increase of 96% from the 137 that took place in the same area over the equivalent timeframe in 2023. These are both record figures in these cities for the January-to-June period.

CST recorded at least one antisemitic incident in each of London’s 33 boroughs. Of the 1,037 incidents reported across Greater London in the first six months of 2024, 411 occurred in Barnet, the local authority that is home to the biggest Jewish community in the UK. There were 122 instances of antisemitism reported to have taken place in Westminster, 94 in Camden, 60 in Hackney and 30 in Brent. Significant portions of London’s Jewish population live, work, pray and are educated in Barnet, Hackney and Brent, as well as in Westminster and Camden, but these two latter boroughs rank higher than in previous years. In the former – the political hub of the country – many of the capital’s anti-Israel demonstrations and vigils for the hostages captured by Hamas have taken place. Although the majority of people who attend these events do so peacefully and respectfully, they have attracted individuals who were reported to CST for shouting antisemitic slogans or comments, or for carrying antisemitic placards. At least 19 incidents were recorded in Westminster either at anti-Israel marches or in transit to or from them, or at vigils held for the victims of Hamas’ terror attack. Westminster and Camden are also home to high-profile Jewish organisations that have been victims of online abuse. Of the 216 incidents reported across the two local authorities, 89 (41%) happened online. 

Within Greater London’s statistics, 66 incidents were reported to have taken place on the London transport network, 41 of which occurred on property that falls under the remit of the British Transport Police. A further 42 were online incidents where either the victim or offender is understood to be based in London, but a more specific location could not be established. The figure for Greater London would be even higher, were it not for a technical problem from March onwards that caused a disruption to the flow of reports received from the Metropolitan Police as part of CST’s information exchange with police forces. CST’s collaboration with the police is of huge value, and remains a core part of CST’s work.

Within Greater London’s statistics, 66 incidents were reported to have taken place on the London transport network, 41 of which occurred on property that falls under the remit of the British Transport Police. A further 43 were online incidents where either the victim or offender is understood to be based in London, but a more specific location could not be established. The figure for Greater London would be even higher, were it not for a technical problem from March onwards that caused a disruption to the flow of reports received from the Metropolitan Police as part of CST’s information exchange with police forces. CST’s collaboration with the police is of huge value, and remains a core part of CST’s work.

Of Greater Manchester’s 268 antisemitic incidents recorded between January and June 2024, 92 happened in the City of Manchester, 78 in Bury, 59 in Salford, 12 in Stockport and nine in Trafford. Included in Greater Manchester’s incident data are six incidents that occurred on the local transport network, and three online incidents where the offender is known to be based in the region, but it was not possible to pinpoint a specific location.

Antisemitism continues to manifest most in the areas where the largest hubs of Jewish communal life reside: the combined proportional contribution of Greater London and Greater Manchester to the overall half-year figure grew from 63% in the first six months of 2023 to 66% across the same timeframe in 2024. While this is to be expected, the only UK police regions where CST did not record any incidents in the first half of 2024 were Lincolnshire, Suffolk. This is a microcosm of modern-day antisemitism: while the majority of reports to CST come from areas with large Jewish communities, antisemitism exists throughout the nation. Its perpetrators will articulate their hatred, taking advantage of the wide reach granted by social media and messaging platforms, whether or not they are close to Jewish people or communities.

As the popularity of virtual platforms as vessels for hate speech has grown, so has CST’s online footprint, broadening the capacity of the public to report online and offline antisemitism. In addition, the partnerships and data sharing agreements with police services around the country have been crucial in growing CST’s understanding of the landscape of anti-Jewish hate in the UK.

In addition to Greater London and Greater Manchester, the police regions in which CST registered the highest six-monthly figures of reported antisemitic incidents were West Yorkshire with 115 incidents (compared to 44 in the first half of 2023); Hertfordshire with 60 (an increase from 25 in the first six months of 2023); Thames Valley with 47 (rising from 13 between January and June 2023); West Midlands with 43 (an increase from ten recorded in the same timeframe in 2023); and Scotland with 40 (rising from 14 in the first half of 2023).

Aside from the boroughs in Greater London and Greater Manchester mentioned above, the towns and cities where reported half-year antisemitic incident totals were highest were Leeds in West Yorkshire (84 incidents); Birmingham in West Midlands (30 incidents); Oxford in Thames Valley (29 incidents); Borehamwood & Elstree in Hertfordshire (24 incidents); Brighton & Hove in Sussex (23 incidents); Cambridge in Cambridgeshire (22 incidents); and Glasgow in Scotland (also 22 incidents).

Included within all the statistics in this chapter are 81 instances of antisemitism that took place on public transport or at public transport stations. Of these, 37 occurred on the London Underground, 23 on London buses, and 21 on other transport services that fall under the authority of the British Transport Police. In addition to the 81 incidents on public transport, there were six occasions where the victims were abused by private taxi drivers. Sixteen of the 87 incidents that took place on either public transport or in private taxis were classed as Assault, three as Threats, and 68 as Abusive Behaviour.

Reporting of Incidents

Not every incident recorded by CST has an identifiable victim. Not every incident recorded by CST has an identifiable perpetrator; but every incident recorded by CST has a reporter. Antisemitic incidents are reported to CST in a number of ways, most commonly by telephone, email, CST’s website, via CST’s social media profiles, or in person to CST staff and volunteers. Incidents can be reported to CST by the victim, a witness, or an individual or organisation acting on their behalf. In 2001, CST was accorded third party reporting status by the police. CST has a national Information Sharing Agreement with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and similar agreements with a number of regional forces, which allow CST to share antisemitic incident reports, fully anonymised to comply with data protection requirements, so that both CST and the police can glean as complete a picture as possible of the number and nature of reported antisemitic incidents. CST began sharing antisemitic incident data with Greater Manchester Police in 2011, followed by the Metropolitan Police Service in 2012. Now, using the national agreement, CST shares anonymised antisemitic incident data with many forces around the UK. Any duplicate incidents that are reported to both CST and the police are excluded from this process to ensure there is no ‘double counting’ of incidents.

This partnership remains invaluable. From January to June 2024, 395 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST were received from the police, totalling 20% of all the incidents reported. This is a decrease from the first half of last year, when 43% of incidents were reported by police. This is largely due to a disruption to the flow of reports received from the Metropolitan Police from March onwards caused by IT problems. The Metropolitan Police Service continues to be an important partner for CST and provided 138 of the 395 incidents recorded through the Information Sharing Agreement. Meanwhile, 95 came from Greater Manchester Police, 51 from West Yorkshire Police, 19 from Essex Police, 18 from Cheshire Police, and 74 from other police services around the UK. It is a testament to the work and time invested in developing and maintaining these collaborations that the police are able to contribute so much to CST’s antisemitic incident data, informing the subsequent analysis of anti-Jewish hate in the UK.

In the first six months of 2024, 699 of the 1,978 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST were reported by the victim, while 365 were reported by a witness to antisemitism, whether exhibited in a public space or online. In 178 instances, a friend, relative or support provider relayed details of the incident. These form 9% of the total reports, compared to 6% in the first half of 2023. This is indicative of the rise in school-related incidents, many of which were reported on behalf of the children involved by their parents and teachers. CST staff reported 239 cases of antisemitism, which includes online abuse directed at CST social media accounts and email addresses, while 56 incidents were reported by security guards at Jewish locations. A further 22 incidents came to CST’s attention through CST volunteers, while 21 incidents were uniquely forwarded by the Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH), a partnership of community organisations in London to whom victims who report hate crime to the police can be referred if they want specialist support. Two incidents were made by Manchester Shomrim, and one was recorded from a media report.

Antisemitic Incident Figures, January-June

Antisemitic incident figures by category, January-June 2014–2024

Antisemitic incident figures by month, January-June 2014–2024

Antisemitic incident figures, full breakdown, January-June 2024

Footnotes

1. The incident totals for past years and months in this report may differ from those previously published by CST, due to the late reporting of some incidents to CST by incident victims, witnesses or other sources. Figures published in this report are also subject to change for the same reason.
2. Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023
3. CST will ask incident victims or witnesses if they can describe the person, or people, who committed the incident they are reporting. Interactions between perpetrators and victims may be crude and brief, leaving little reliable information, and while it is often possible to receive reports regarding the apparent appearance or motivation of incident offenders, this is not absolute proof of the offenders’ actual ethnic or religious identity, nor of their motivation. In addition, many incidents do not involve face-to-face contact between offender and victim, so there is no physical description of the offender. With these caveats, CST does provide data regarding the ethnic appearance, age and gender of incident offenders.
4. A full explanation of CST’s antisemitic incident categories can be found in the leaflet Categories of Antisemitic Incidents
5. A further 11 incidents in this category took place in Westminster. This is a political hub with the a high annual footfall, where many demonstrations and vigils have been held throughout the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Four of these attacks were related to protests and vigils.
6. These include attacks wherein mixed groups of adults and minors were targeted, as do all the figures in this paragraph.
7. This figure includes bomb threats sent to multiple Jewish locations around the country simultaneously, which CST counts as a single incident.
8. The Blood Libel or Ritual Murder charge is an entirely false medieval allegation that Jews would kidnap and murder Christian children for religious purposes, and consume their blood.