A record number of anti-Semitic incidents were reported in the UK following the 11-day conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in May, according to the Community Security Trust (CST). The charity recorded 460 incidents from 8 May to 7 June, the highest monthly total since records began in 1984, with 316 occurring offline and 144 online. This surpasses the previous record of 317 in July 2014, which also coincided with major violence in the Middle East.
Rabbi Nicky Liss, chair of the United Synagogue's rabbinical council, described feeling physically threatened for the first time in his 13-year career. On 16 May, he learned that his friend Rabbi Rafi Goodwin had been attacked outside a synagogue in Chigwell, Essex, allegedly struck with a brick. Two men have denied charges of grievous bodily harm, robbery and religiously aggravated criminal damage. That same afternoon, a man was filmed shouting anti-Semitic abuse from a convoy of cars with Palestinian flags in St John's Wood, north-west London. Four men were arrested and remain on bail.
Despite the tensions, Rabbi Liss proceeded with his talk after receiving advice from the CST to increase vigilance and patrols. He said: 'I can't believe that in 2021, I was thinking, was it safe for me to go on the street and walk to another synagogue to give a talk.' The CST noted that 416 of the 460 incidents referenced Israel, and 30% were linked to the educational sector, affecting pupils, teachers and university students.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick described the upsurge in anti-Semitism as 'deeply disturbing'. Police forces in London, Greater Manchester and Hertfordshire did not provide readily available data on anti-Semitic incidents in May. However, Greater Manchester Police reported a rise in hate crime following Middle East tensions, which has since stabilised after a dedicated response, Operation Wildflower.
