Sir Keir Starmer has previously said his government would tackle rising anti-Semitism, pledging to make the Holocaust a required subject at school.
The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have more than tripled in a year since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, the Community Security Trust (CST) has said.
The CST said it recorded 5,583 incidents in the UK between Oct. 7, 2023 and Sept. 30, 2024, the highest total ever recorded in a 12-month period.
“Antisemitism immediately surged following the attack, with over 1,400 incidents reported in October alone. Over 200 incidents have been reported every month since then,” it added.
Compared to the same period previously—October 2022 to September 2023—there were 1,830 incidents, a 204 percent increase.
The charity broke down the incidents by category, with the vast majority being abusive behaviour (4,583), while others involved threats (401), assault (302), damage and desecration (266), and anti-Semitic literature (30). The charity also reported one incident of extreme violence.
Most incidents occurred in London, with 3,167 recorded in the nation’s capital. This was followed by Manchester (729), West Yorkshire (642), Hertfordshire (162), and the West Midlands (105).
Mandatory Holocaust Lessons
The festival of Rosh Hashanah—Jewish new year—began on Wednesday. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer sent a message to British Jews, noting that while this is meant to be a time of celebration, the war in the Middle East continues to cast a shadow over the community.
Starmer said in a statement: “So often, Rosh Hashanah is a joyous occasion. But this year, we approach it with anguish too. Our hearts are heavy with the memory of the brutal acts of October 7th. As we remember those who lost their lives, I pledge to do all we can to bring home the hostages.”
The prime minister said his administration will also allocate £2.2 million to the Lessons From Auschwitz project, an experience-based course for pupils. It includes a day trip to Poland to visit Nazi concentration camps, talking to Holocaust survivors, and group work.
Starmer made the announcement while speaking at the Holocaust Education Trust appeal dinner on Sept. 17, where he said the pledge was part of the government’s commitment to fight the “resurgence of anti-Semitism” in Britain.
“We will not shy away from this. We will not be silent,” Starmer told attendees.
He continued: “We will not look the other way. We will call out anti-Semitism for what it is—hatred, pure and simple—and we will fight this with everything that we’ve got, just as I fought to bring my party back from the abyss of anti-Semitism.
“I promise you, I will do the same in leading the country.”
Iran Attacks Israel
Israel has been fighting a war against multiple Iran proxies in the last year, including Hezbollah, which began firing rockets into northern Israel from southern Lebanon a day after Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack.
In a televised address, Starmer condemned Iran and expressed support for Israel, saying, “We recognise her right to self defence in the face of this aggression.”