Anti-Semitic hate crimes in UK rise by more than 50% in one year

The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes recorded in the UK has risen by more than 50% compared to last year, according to figures released by a Jewish charity.

There were 473 recorded incidents of anti-Semitism in the first six months of 2015 compared to 309 in the same period in 2014, according to Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which monitors security and safety of the British Jewish community.

Separate figures – released by individual police forces – reveal Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and London have all seen the greatest increase in the number of hate crimes. The capital has seen the largest rise of 137% – from 193 in 2013/14 to 459 in 2014/15.

Of the 473 incidents of anti-Semitism, 44 of them were assaults, two of which were classed as "extreme violence", 35 incidents of damage or desecration to Jewish property and 36 direct anti-Semitic threats.

A majority of the recorded incidents (353) were listed as verbal abuse, anti-Semitic graffiti, and anti-Semitic abuse via social media.

David Delew, CST chief executive, said the increase in reported incidents may be due to a number of high-profile anti-Semitic attacks across Europe, including four people who were killed during a siege at a Kosher supermarket in Paris.

In February, a Jewish man was also shot dead while guarding Copenhagen's main synagogue.

Delew said: "The terrorist attacks on European Jews earlier this year, following the high levels of anti-Semitism in 2014, were a difficult and unsettling experience for our Jewish community.

"We welcome the apparent increase in reporting of anti-Semitic incidents, but regret the concern and anxiety about anti-Semitism that this reflects."

Met Police previously revealed the total number of racist and religious hate crimes across London rose by almost 28% in 2014, from 9,965 reported incidents to 12,749.

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews – the community's umbrella body – previously told IBTimes UK: "While the UK is a good place to be Jewish, we cannot be complacent and these figures show us the challenge society needs to meet. We must do all we can to oppose all forms of hate crime, including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other types of racism."

In January, a YouGov poll both commissioned by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) revealed nearly half the population of Britain hold at least one anti-Semitic view. Of the 3,400 people who took part in the survey, 10% said they would be unhappy if a member of their family married a Jewish person.