UK universities report rise in antisemitic incidents

Reported antisemitic incidents affecting UK university students and staff increased during the 2025-26 academic year, according to the Community Security Trust. The charity recorded 95 university-related incidents, compared with 83 in 2024-25. It said the number had declined from the peak reached after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, but remained substantially higher than before that event.

The CST recorded 53 incidents in 2022-23, before the attack and the ensuing war in Gaza. The total rose to 272 in 2023-24 before falling the following year. The charity defines a university-related incident as one involving a student, staff member or academic in their university capacity.

The incidents can occur on campus or online. Abusive behaviour was the most common category across the two years examined. This included verbal abuse, comments made in person or online and antisemitic graffiti.

The report also recorded six assaults, eight cases involving damage or desecration of Jewish property and ten threats across the two years. Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, called the findings a serious concern and said members needed to protect Jewish students and staff. England’s Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the findings were deeply troubling and called for a zero-tolerance approach.

CST chief executive Mark Gardner said Jewish people continued to face a serious campus antisemitism problem, including incidents involving university staff. The CST said criticism of Israel and Zionism was not inherently antisemitic, while noting that anti-Zionist language was often used alongside hostility towards Jews and Jewish organisations.