The writing was on the wall, and in the data

Nearly half of British Jews say antisemitism in the UK is ‘a very big problem’

Our most recent data show that more British Jews think antisemitism is a “very big” problem in the UK than ever previously measured: 47% reported that in summer 2025, compared with 21% before October 7, 2023. And 32% – one in three adult British Jews – reported personally experiencing at least one antisemitic incident in calendar year 2024, with the most Orthodox (i.e. those who are identifiably Jewish) and young adults most vulnerable.

Jews have also been experiencing ‘ambient antisemitism’ – small acts that feel antisemitic, even if not intended in that way. Posters of Israeli hostages torn down, microaggressions in the workplace that feel ‘off’, and environments in which Jews conceal their Jewishness for fear of the hostility or isolation it may bring. 45% of British Jews say they have these experiences ‘regularly’ or ‘frequently’ today, compared to just 8% before October 7. And 35% report feeling unsafe as a Jew in Britain today, compared to 9% before October 7.

And those figures predate Manchester.

Is anti-Israelism is antisemitism? Does it really matter?

But, argue some, none of the reaction to the war in Gaza has been antisemitic: “It has just been anti-Israel, or anti-Zionist. We did nothing wrong. We just called out the Israeli government. And rightly so. We are the community of the good.”

People argue endlessly about whether anti-Israelism is antisemitism. The empirical answer is nuanced: it both is, and it is not. Anti-Jewish and anti-Israel attitudes certainly correlate – those who hold one type are more likely than average to keep the other. But not in all cases. It’s possible to have extreme anti-Israel views without being anti-Jewish, and extreme anti-Jewish views without being anti-Israel. It’s possible.

But in a sense, it doesn’t really matter. Not to the Manchester victims, anyway. Because when extreme anti-Israel attitudes and ideas become part and parcel of normative speech in significant parts of government and society, they give cover and legitimacy to extreme acts. Not deliberately – at least not in most cases. But that, I’m afraid, is how antisemitism works.

Antisemitism has existed for over two thousand years. It has become so deeply ingrained over time in various systems of thought and belief – in Christianity, Islam, Fascism, Communism, Marxism, Socialism, Nationalism (the list goes on) - and through these systems, into the realms of science and human rights law, that it is extraordinarily easy to ignite. Like the beginnings of a forest fire, it only takes a puff of air and the wind to be blowing in the wrong direction.

Small acts: Anti-Israel graffiti in Jewish neighbourhoods. Refusals to serve Israelis in restaurants. Media reporting that dismisses or ignores Israeli realities. Social media posts decrying Israel as a racist, ‘settler-colonialist’ state. Calls to ‘Globalise the Intifada.’ Rejections of applications for scientific collaboration with Israeli universities or academics. These are all ok, right?

No. Not if you understand antisemitism. Not if you understand Jewish history. And I mean really understand it, from the inside – Jewish hopes, aspirations, liturgy, literature. Not if you understand Jewish nightmares.

It’s that atmosphere that explains why two completely harmless and innocent Jews in Manchester are dead. It’s why their families are in mourning. It’s why the entire British Jewish community – the entire Jewish world – is devastated. And it’s why Israel just became even more critical to Jews everywhere.