Antisemitism on the rise at universities, charity warns
The Community Security Trust says reported incidents are "substantially higher" than before the war in Gaza began.
A charity monitoring antisemitic incidents in the UK reported a rise in cases affecting university students and staff during the 2025-26 academic year. The Community Security Trust (CST) documented 95 university-related incidents, an increase from 83 the previous year. This is despite the number falling from its peak following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Universities UK (UUK), representing over 140 institutions, expressed concern over the findings, stating that Jewish students and staff need protection. Education Secretary Lucy Powell emphasized the need for universities to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism, adding that the CST is providing training to help staff swiftly identify and respond to incidents.
The CST defines an antisemitic incident as university-related if it involves a student, staff member, or academic at a UK university in their academic or student capacity. In 2022-23, the last year before the October 7 attack, the CST recorded 53 such incidents, which rose to 272 in 2023-24. The most common type of incident is abusive behavior, including verbal abuse, comments in person or online, and antisemitic graffiti.
For the first time, there were two cases of extreme violence and six reported assaults in 2024-25. The charity also noted ten threats and eight incidents of damage to Jewish property, five of which occurred in student accommodation. Around two-thirds of reported incidents involved antisemitic language or targeting alongside references to Israel, Gaza, Hamas, the 7 October attack, and subsequent Middle Eastern conflicts.
While criticizing Israel and Zionism is not inherently antisemitic, the CST's report highlights that anti-Zionist language is often used in conjunction with hostility towards Jews and Jewish organizations. Mark Gardner, CST's chief executive, stressed that Jews continue to face a serious campus antisemitism problem, particularly troubling that a growing proportion of anti-Jewish actions involve university staff.
He stressed that universities have a duty to ensure Jewish students and staff can study, work, and participate on campus equally. UUK's president, Raphi Leon, called for action to support Jewish students and tackle antisemitism, while UUK's chief executive, Vivienne Stern, emphasized the rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK as a serious concern, urging universities to protect Jewish students and staff and clarify where the expression of a strongly held view becomes antisemitism and harassment.
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