Britain sees biggest rise in antisemitic incidents out of major countries as report warns anti-Jewish attitudes are becoming more widespread

By AIDAN RADNEDGE, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:39, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 10:40, 29 July 2026 The UK has suffered from the largest increase in antisemitic incidents out of all major countries in the Jewish diaspora outside Israel, a new report has revealed. Anti-Jewish attitudes are becoming 'more widespread', according to the study by the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism. The group, which comprises organisations from across seven nations, told of its 'alarm about the deadly reality of antisemitism that Jewish communities worldwide confront at levels unprecedented since World War II'. The new study comes after a series of antisemitic attacks at synagogues across Britain as well as surges of online threats and abuse.  It covers developments across nations representing the largest Jewish communities outside Israel - that is, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the US.  The organisation states: 'The picture that emerges from this report is both sobering and urgent.' Researchers say antisemitic incidents 'remain at elevated levels' compared to before the Hamas terrorist attacks targeting Israel and killing more than 1,200 people on October 7 2023 - though did fall in four J7 countries last year following 2024 peaks. Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has responded to those October 7 attacks with a military offensive in Gaza, with estimates of more than 80,000 deaths. Four Jewish charity ambulances were set on fire in Golders Green, north London, in March The seven countries covered in the new report recording a combined total of more than 91,000 antisemitic incidents last year.  These included 8,725 incidents in Germany, 6,274 in the US, 3,700 in Britain, 1,654 in Australia, 1,320 in France, 788 in Canada and 713 in Argentina. Reported antisemitic incidents across those nations are said to have increased by 136 per cent since 2022 and violent incidents are up by 97 per cent. The UK was one of three countries seeing a rise last year, along with Argentina and Germany, according to the new study - with Britain's five per cent surge the biggest. Marina Rosenberg, from the US-based Anti-Defamation League which was involved in the report, told the BBC: 'Violent antisemitic attacks don't just start with violence. 'Social media has been used in the past few years as a place for radicalisation for different groups and individuals, including those that later go on a violent spree against a synagogue or a school – and now AI is part of it.' The J7 Large Communities Task Force Against Antisemitism said in a statement: 'Antisemitism in our seven countries is no longer a surge; it is our new normal. 'Governments must stop reacting after Jews are attacked and start acting before, with real security funding, stronger laws and social media platforms that enforce their own rules.' Police and fire officers are seen outside the former East London Central Synagogue in Nelson Street in Whitechapel, east London, following a suspected arson attack in May A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism today told the Daily Mail: 'These findings should come as an embarrassment to Britain's authorities.  'This country is experiencing an antisemitism crisis that has been fuelled by inaction from our decision-makers, who claim to prioritise protecting Jews without properly confronting the perpetrators driving this hatred. 'Recent actions by the Government to increase protective measures for the Jewish community and ban the IRGC are long overdue, but will have little impact if authorities fail to act forcefully against extremists. 'This rise in antisemitism is clear evidence that radicalisation and extremism are sky-high and must be stamped out before it’s no longer fixable.' Prime Minister Andy Burnham's newly-reappointed Housing Secretary Angela Rayner earlier said she was 'appalled by the horrific rise of antisemitism in the UK', calling it 'intolerable'. She added: 'Across government, we're also working with international partners, including the J7, to strengthen the global fight against antisemitism and stand up for Jewish communities wherever they face discrimination, abuse or violence.'  There has recently been a series of arsons at Jewish sites in London, as well as a double stabbing in Golders Green, north London, being treated as an act of terrorism. Four ambulances operated by the Jewish charity Hatzola were set on fire in Golders Green in March this year.  The firebombing caused gas canisters stored in the ambulances to explode, with the force from the blast causing windows to break in a block of flats close by. The neighbouring synagogue, one of Europe's oldest, had its roof damaged and stained glass windows smashed in the fire. Many attacks have been claimed by a group called Hayi that is suspected to be backed by Iran in a bid to sow division in Britain. A former synagogue in London was hit by a suspected arson attack in May this year - as counter-terrorism police launched an investigation amid similar sprees. Police cordon off 'Jewish Futures' in Hendon, north-west London, after an arson attack in April Officers were called at 5.16am by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a blaze at a historic building in Nelson Street in Whitechapel, east London. Officers found minor damage to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the building, while there were no reports of any people injured. The Government has promised a new law to allow it to take action against state-backed groups and also proscribed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. At a May roundtable of senior figures from the police, representatives from the arts, higher education, trade unions and businesses, then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also promised new action to implement a 'zero tolerance' approach to anti-Semitism on university campuses and action in the arts. Universities will now be expected to 'demonstrate action' to tackle anti-Semitism among students, according to Sir Keir who has subsequently been succeeded in Downing Street by Mr Burnham. He added: 'We will now expect them to publish the scale of the problem on their campuses, as well as the specific steps they have taken to clamp down on it. There will be zero tolerance for inaction.' The Arts Council will meanwhile be expected to withdraw funding and claw it back from anyone found to promote anti-Semitism, Sir Keir added. He also announced the Government had ordered an independent audit of how allegations of antisemitism are handled. He said: 'This will be a hard-edge review of where systems are failing. We will not, and cannot, accept complacency, delays or weak enforcement, and where inconsistency is found, it will be challenged and addressed swiftly.' Ahead of the meeting, the Government announced Jewish communities across England would receive an extra £1million. The money is expected to pay for community safety work and projects aimed at countering anti-Semitic narratives. Universities will now be expected to publish details of antisemitic attacks on campuses, with 'zero tolerance' for inaction. Earlier this year the Government launched an independent review into anti-Semitism in schools and colleges in England, with pupils, parents and teachers asked for their views. The Community Security Trust recorded 204 school-related anti-Semitic incidents in 2025 – double the levels seen before 2023. Four Jewish community ambulances were torched in Golders Green, north-west London, in the early hours. The vehicles were from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the area, and investigators have probed claims that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia was behind the attack. A video was posted on Telegram featuring a map of the location where the ambulances were kept and footage of them on fire. Since the alleged attack, four males have been charged over the incident. Two British men, Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, from Leyton, east London, and a 17-year-old boy, of dual British-Pakistani nationality, from Walthamstow, were charged with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. They were remanded in custody earlier this month. On Saturday, Judex Atshatshi, 18, a British national from Dagenham, east London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. He was also remanded in custody. The four defendants are set to appear at the Old Bailey on April 24. Attempted arson attacks are carried out in the early hours at Finchley Reform Synagogue, and at about 8.30pm outside the offices of a Persian media company, both in north-west London. Bottles, one thought to contain petrol, were placed near the synagogue in Fallow Court Avenue, Finchley. Two people wearing dark clothing and balaclavas were seen approaching the building and neither of the bottles were ignited, the Metropolitan Police said. They fled the scene with no damage or injuries reported, it added. That evening, the Met police announced it had arrested a 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man on suspicion of arson endangering life in connection with the incident. It said the woman was arrested at an address in Watford and the 46-year-old man was arrested in the Watford area. Hours after the alleged attack in Finchley, an 'ignited container' was thrown towards the site of Volant Media, the parent company of Persian news channel Iran International. It landed in a car park where the fire immediately went out. There were no injuries and the suspects left the area in a black four-wheel-drive vehicle, police have said. Three people were charged with arson with intent to endanger life after the incident in north-west London. Oisin McGuinness, 21, Nathan Dunn, 19, and a 16-year-old boy appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday where they spoke only to confirm their personal details. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded to the care of a local authority with conditions and will next appear at the Old Bailey on May 15 for a preliminary hearing. McGuinness and Dunn, both of Watford, were each ordered to next appear in custody at the Old Bailey for a pre-trial preparation hearing on the same date.  Items were found near the Israeli embassy, central London, in the morning, and that night a former Jewish charity building was attacked in Hendon, Barnet. A man was spotted approaching the row of shops carrying a plastic bag later found to contain three bottles of fluid, police said. He placed the bag by the old Jewish Futures building before lighting the items inside and fleeing after they failed to fully ignite, police added. The shopfront sustained minor damage and no injuries were reported. A video, which appears to have been shared by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, shows a target over an image of the Israeli embassy and people dressed in hazmat suits flying drones. Another apparent Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia clip claimed the Hendon attack. A 'bottle with some sort of accelerant' is 'thrown through the window' of Kenton United Synagogue, Harrow, the Metropolitan Police said. Smoke was seen inside a room at the synagogue after officers spotted damage to the window at around midnight. Video that seems to be from Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia shows a person in dark clothing lighting an item and throwing it at the synagogue before running away. Officers were called at 5.16am by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a blaze at a historic building and former synagogue in Nelson Street in Whitechapel, east London. Officers found minor damage to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the building