Anti-Semitic incidents in U.K. up 9% in 2008

The first six months of 2008 have seen a 9 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Great Britain compared to the same period last year, according to a UK charity.

The Community Security Trust (CST) said in a press release that it recorded 266 anti-Semitic incidents during the first half of 2008, compared to 244 such cases in the same period in 2007. This figure includes 42 assaults, 31 incidents of damage and desecration of Jewish property, 16 threats, 166 incidents of abusive behaviour (including verbal abuse, hate mail and anti-Semitic graffiti) and 11 incidents of mass produced anti-Semitic literature.

According to the CST, the rise was based in smaller Jewish communities outside the main Jewish population centres of London and Manchester, and as such may reflect improved reporting from those areas. CST spokesperson Mark Gardner said: “These figures reflect the fact that anti-Semitism can affect British Jews in the smallest communities as well as the largest”.

The organisation also noted a significant increase in the number of reported incidents involving students, both on and off campus. There were 49 incidents reported to CST that involved Jewish students, student bodies or academics, almost double the 26 incidents of this type reported in the same period last year. There were also 29 incidents involving Jewish schools and schoolchildren.

“The rise in anti-Semitic incidents affecting Jewish students is of particular concern” Gardner said, “and we will work with the Union of Jewish Students, university authorities and the government to tackle what is clearly a growing problem”.

CST dates back to the Jewish defence organisations formed in the 1930s to combat Oswald Mosley and his followers. A registered charity funded by donations from the Jewish community, the organisation today provides security, training and advice for the protection of British Jews, monitors anti-Semitic activities and incidents and represents British Jewry to police, government and media on anti-Semitism and security.