Key facts
- 35% of British Jews felt unsafe in the UK in 2025, up from 9% in 2023.
- 47% of British Jews view antisemitism as a "very big" problem, compared to 11% in 2012.
- The Community Security Trust recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents in the UK in the first half of 2025.
- 779 of the 1,521 incidents (51%) referenced or were linked to Israel, Gaza, Hamas, or the subsequent conflict.
- Emotional attachment to Israel increased among British Jews, with 75% feeling attached.
- Anti-Zionist identification rose to 12% in 2025, particularly among younger Jews (24% of 20-29 year olds).
Three years after the October 7 attacks, British Jews are reporting a significant increase in feelings of insecurity and a heightened perception of antisemitism, according to recent research. A survey conducted in June and July 2025 found that 35% of British Jews felt unsafe in the UK, a stark rise from 9% in 2023, prior to the Hamas attacks.
The research, carried out by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR), also indicated a substantial increase in the perceived severity of antisemitism, with 47% of British Jews considering it a "very big" problem, up from 11% in 2012.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which tracks antisemitic incidents, recorded 1,521 cases in the UK between January and June 2025. This figure represents the second-highest total for the first half of any year, surpassed only by the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks in the first six months of 2024, which saw 2,019 incidents.
Of the 1,521 incidents recorded in early 2025, 968 occurred in Greater London and Greater Manchester, areas with the largest Jewish populations. The JPR report highlighted that 779 of these incidents, representing 51% of the total, were linked to Israel, Gaza, the Hamas attack, or the subsequent conflict. Additionally, 703 incidents were identified as having anti-Zionist political motivation, with the terms 'Zionist' or 'Zionism' used in 210 instances, and comparisons between Israel and Nazis made on 172 occasions.
While the study found that emotional attachment to Israel had increased among British Jews, with 75% feeling attached, it also noted a rise in "anti-Zionist identification," particularly among younger individuals. This sentiment grew from 8% in 2022 to 12% in 2025, with 24% of 20- to 29-year-olds identifying as anti-Zionist, up from 13% in 2022. Criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza also grew, with 51% stating it clashed with their Jewish values, an increase from 40% in 2024.
Dr. Jonathan Boyd, JPR's executive director, acknowledged the resilience of British Jews but noted that "many Jews feel less secure, more isolated and more morally conflicted" due to the ongoing conflict and its repercussions.