Antisemitic incidents in the UK rose sharply after the deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue in October, according to the Community Security Trust (CST), which recorded 3,700 incidents nationwide in 2025 – the second highest annual total since records began.
Two people were killed and three seriously injured at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation on 2 October, the first fatal antisemitic terror attack since the CST started logging incidents in 1984. On the day of the attack, 40 antisemitic incidents were recorded, with another 40 the following day. More than half directly referenced or celebrated the attack, making October the worst month for anti-Jewish hate in 2025.
The total for 2025 was 4% higher than 2024, but still below the record 2023 figure, which was driven by the aftermath of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. A smaller spike occurred in December after a shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, highlighting how violent incidents can fuel further harassment and abuse.
Mark Gardner, the CST’s chief executive, said: “Two years of intense anti-Jewish hatred culminated in a Jihadi terror attack at a synagogue on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The terror attack then triggered even more antisemitism, showing the depths of extremism faced by Jews and all our British society.” For the first time, the CST recorded more than 200 incidents every calendar month, with an average monthly total of 308 – double that of the year before October 2023.
In 2025, the CST logged four incidents of extreme violence, including the Heaton Park attack, along with 170 assaults, 217 cases of damage and desecration to Jewish property, and more than 3,000 cases of abuse. Over half of all incidents referenced Israel, Palestine, Hamas or the Gaza war. However, antisemitic incidents in schools fell by 23% and those in universities by 41%, while football-related incidents rose from 25 to 36.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Behind these shocking numbers are ordinary Jews suffering because of hate,” and highlighted record funding for security for Jewish communities. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp added: “We can’t have hatred and extremism pouring out on our streets. It is morally wrong that Jewish residents here in the UK no longer feel safe. Words are not enough. Action is needed.”
