The British flag flies in London. Image by RistoArnaudov/iStock

(JTA) — A record number of nearly 900 anti-Semitic incidents have been recorded in the United Kingdom for the first six months of 2019.

The Community Security Trust, or CST, which is British Jewry’s largest watchdog on anti-Semitism, released its  January-June 2019 Antisemitic Incidents Report, on Thursday. The 892 incidents reported in the first half of 2019 is the highest number recorded in that six-month period and is a 10 percent increase from the 810 incidents recorded during the same period in 2018.

There were 38 incidents of damage and desecration of Jewish property in the first six months of 2019; 710 incidents of abusive behavior, including verbal abuse, anti-Semitic graffiti, anti-Semitic abuse via social media and cases of hate mail; 49 direct anti-Semitic threats; and ten cases of mass-mailed anti-Semitic leaflets or emails.

Antisemitism Notebook

Your weekly guide through the news and the noise of how rising antisemitism and disputes over how to address it are shaping American Jewish life.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Some 323, or 36 percent, of the anti-Semitic incidents involved social media, compared to 221 incidents, or 27 percent of the total, on social media in the first half of 2018.

The highest monthly totals in the first half of 2019 were in February and March, with 182 and 169 anti-Semitic incidents respectively. They occurred when issues relating to Jews and anti-Semitism in the Labour party were prominent in the news and politics, CST pointed out.

CST recorded a 37 percent increase in the number of violent anti-Semitic assaults, to 85 in the first six months of 2019, up from 62 in the first six months of 2018.

Almost two thirds of the 892 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Greater London and Greater Manchester, the two largest Jewish communities in the UK.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount