Anti-Semitic hate crime on record high in UK

 Anti-Semitic hate crime incidents in the UK were at a record high by more than a third last year, a new report said today.

The Community Security Trust (CST) charity recorded 1,309 incidents of anti-Jewish hate attacks last year, compared with 960 in 2015, a rise of 36 per cent.

The CST monitors anti-semitism and provides security to Jewish communities.
It said the previous record number of incidents was in 2014, when 1,182 were recorded.

"Racists, including anti-Semites, feel emboldened, feel encouraged, at this moment in time, for a whole range of reasons, to come out with their hatred. They used to keep it under the ground. Now they are coming out. A lid has been lifted off," said Mark Gardner from the CST.

The CST, which has recorded data since 1984, said a perceived increase in racism and xenophobia following the EU referendum and greater discussion of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party could explain the rise.
UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the government would continue "to do all we can to stamp out these vile attacks and encourage those who experience them to come forward".

"Anti-semitism is a deplorable form of hatred that has absolutely no place in a tolerant, open and diverse Britain that works for everyone," she said.

Over three-quarters of incidents were recorded in Greater London and Greater Manchester, where the majority of British Jews live.

Greater London saw a 65 per cent increase incidents on the previous year.
According to the CST's report there were 1,006 incidents of abusive behavior, including verbal abuse, hate mail and anti-semitic graffiti.

Damage and desecration to Jewish property increased by a quarter to 81 recorded incidents and there were 107 violent anti-semitic assaults reported.
As many as 287 anti-Semitic incidents involved social media.