UK antisemitic incidents up 21% in first half of 2026

Reported antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom rose by 21 percent in the first half of 2026, marking the second-highest six-month total on record, according to data released on Wednesday, August 5. The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that advises the Jewish community on security, documented 1,926 incidents between January and June, compared to 1,598 in the same period last year. Officials have attributed a portion of the violence to Iran-backed groups, while community leaders warn that the elevated levels of hate are leaving many British Jews fearful.

The first six months of the year included several high-profile attacks. On April 29, two Jewish men were stabbed in the Golders Green area of London in an incident police are treating as terrorism. That attack was followed by a spike in daily antisemitic incidents, with 71 recorded over the next three days. Earlier, on March 23, four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola were set ablaze in Golders Green. A series of other arson and attempted arson attacks targeted synagogues and Jewish-linked properties in London.

British authorities have linked several of these attacks to the...