Antisemitism Incidents at UK Universities Rise, Charity Reports

According to the BBC UK, cases of antisemitism impacting university students and staff in the United Kingdom have increased over the previous academic year, as documented by a charity that tracks such incidents.

The Community Security Trust (CST) indicated that it recorded 95 incidents categorized as "university-related" during the 2025-26 academic year, which is an increase from the 83 incidents recorded in the preceding year. The CST noted that this figure is lower than the peak observed in the year following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the commencement of the war in Gaza, but it persists at a level that is "substantially higher" than prior to that period.

Universities UK (UUK), which represents over 140 institutions, stated that its member institutions are required to "protect Jewish students and staff," and also characterized the findings as a "serious concern."

Lucy Powell, the education secretary in England, described the findings presented in the CST report as "deeply troubling." She added that the government expects universities to adopt a zero-tolerance stance toward antisemitism and is providing training to assist university personnel in identifying and responding to incidents promptly.

The CST defines an antisemitic incident as "university-related" when it pertains to a student, staff member, or academic at a UK university while they are acting in their academic or student capacity, which includes occurrences both on and off campus, as well as online.

Prior to the October 7 attack, in the 2022-23 academic year, the CST documented 53 incidents. This number subsequently rose to 272 in 2023-24. A report from the charity examining the last two academic years indicated that reported incidents decreased in 2024-25 but subsequently increased again in 2025-26.

The most frequently recorded type of incident by the CST across both years involved abusive behavior, which encompassed verbal abuse, comments made in person or online, and antisemitic graffiti.

The report further stated that, for the first time, there were two instances of extreme violence recorded in 2024-25. Across both years, there were six reported assaults, eight incidents involving damage and desecration to Jewish property—five of which occurred in student housing—and ten threats.

Approximately two-thirds of the reported incidents contained antisemitic language or targeting alongside references to Israel, Gaza, Hamas, the October 7 attack, and the ensuing conflicts in the Middle East.

The war in Gaza was initiated by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the taking of 251 individuals hostage. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry reported has caused around 74,000 fatalities.

The CST report asserted that while criticism of Zionism and Israel is not inherently antisemitic, the data presented in the report continues to show that anti-Zionist language is often used in conjunction with hostility directed at Jews and Jewish organizations.

Mark Gardner, the chief executive of the CST, stated that Jewish people continue to face a very serious issue with campus antisemitism, and he found it "particularly troubling that a growing proportion of the anti-Jewish actions involve university staff." He added that universities have a responsibility to ensure that Jewish students and staff can study, work, and participate on campus on par with everyone else.

Raphi Leon, who serves as the president of the Union of Jewish Students, commented that the report "must be a shot in the arm to boost action to support Jewish students and tackle antisemitism."

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of UUK, stated that the escalation in antisemitic incidents across the UK, including on university campuses, represents a significant concern. She emphasized that universities bear a responsibility to safeguard Jewish students and staff from abuse and to ensure that students and staff clearly understand when the expression of a strongly held viewpoint transitions into antisemitism and harassment. Stern mentioned that UUK has collaborated with bodies such as the CST on guidance for universities, but noted that further work is necessary, especially concerning the building of confidence in the efficacy of disciplinary procedures.