7th September 2025

Extremism rife as antisemitism rises to highest levels on record

Campaign Against Antisemitism commissioned YouGov to survey British adults’ attitudes towards Jews. The findings show that antisemitism has risen to the highest levels on record since we began these surveys.

Here are some key takeaways from the polling:

Entrenched antisemitism

An astounding 21% of the British public affirmed four or more antisemitic statements, compared to 16% last year. In 2021, the figure was 11%.
In other words, the number of people in Britain holding what we consider to be entrenched antisemitic views has doubled in less than five years to over a fifth of the British population.
These are the highest figures since we began these surveys a decade ago.

Israel acts like Nazis

A staggering 45% of the British public – almost half of the population – believes that Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews, a record figure and a huge increase from last year’s prior record of 33%. 60% of young people believe this, and 48% – practically half – of Londoners believe it too.
This is one of the most common antisemitic tropes that we see. It both trivialises the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were industrially slaughtered, and insultingly accuses victims of the crime committed against them of perpetrating it.

Young people

Almost half (49%) of 18-24-year-olds are uncomfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel; only 18% are comfortable.
Only 31% of young voters agree that Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people; 20% (one fifth) of them say that it does not.
58% of young people believe that Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy, compared to 29% of the overall population.
Over a quarter (26%) of the British public believes that Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media, up considerably from 18% last year. Among young people, the figure skyrockets to 42%.
Bearing in mind that the overwhelming majority of British Jews identify as Zionists and with the Jewish state, these attitudes among young Britons have enormous implications for young Jews on campus, on social media and starting out in the workplace.

Views of Hamas among young people

10% of young people have a favourable view of Hamas, and 14% of them believe it is wrong to class Hamas as terrorists.
Almost one fifth – a terrifying 19% – of young people believe that the Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October 2023 was justified.
These are deeply alarming figures. On 7th October 2023, Hamas murdered some 1,200 people in Israel – having also murdered hundreds over preceding decades by suicide bomb, rocket, bullet, knife and other means. There are few stronger indicators of the rise of extremism in our country than that such high proportions of young people believe that this attack was justified and view the perpetrators favourably.

Among party voters

10% of Reform voters do not believe Jewish people are just as loyal to Britain as other British people, and 24% of them – almost a quarter – believe that Jewish people chase money more than other people do. These are higher figures than for voters of any other major party.
By contrast, only 7% of Reform voters say that they disagree that they would be comfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel – the lowest figure for all party voters.
This compares very favourably to a remarkable one third (33%) of Labour voters who say that they are uncomfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel, and a majority (54%) of Green Party voters.
29% of the British public believe that Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy, up significantly from 22% last year. 54% of Green Party voters and 32% of Londoners believe this. Conversely, the percentage of the overall population disagreeing that Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy has fallen from 30% to 23%.
Among Green Party voters, 15% believe that the Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October 2023 was justified, higher than any other major party’s voters.
29% of Labour voters believe that Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media. Put differently, nearly one third of voters for the governing party believe that the Jewish state’s supporters control the media and therefore evade accountability.

Perception of antisemitism

Half (51%) of the British public believes that antisemitism has increased in the UK since October 2023, and 60% of young people agree. 23% of the population believe that it has stayed the same and only 2% believe that it has decreased.
Awareness of antisemitism is clearly high, but given the rising levels of antisemitic views, either people are not bothered by the surge in anti-Jewish racism or, more likely, they do not comprehend the nature of it and their role in the increase.

Palestine marches

The country is divided on the regular Palestine marches: 29% view them positively and 32% – a slight plurality – view them negatively. But a sizable majority of 69% believe that they are achieving not very much or nothing at all; only 13% believe that they are achieving something.
A clear majority of 58% of the British public believes that the organisers of the Palestine protests should foot the bill for them.
The country is evidently divided on the obsession with Palestine in our public life, but most people do not want to pay for it.

Understanding of Zionism

54% of the British public admit that they do not know what Zionism means. Only one third (32%) do know.

Our survey of British adults was conducted by YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2,245 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 1st – 2nd September 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

The YouGov survey was designed in collaboration with Campaign Against Antisemitism using the Generalised Antisemitism Scale, more on which below.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Our country is clearly at a tipping point. These are the highest antisemitism figures that we have ever recorded, having doubled in less than five years. Our young people are being radicalised into adopting hateful ideologies before our eyes. Britain will lose its soul to extremists unless the silent majority wakes up. The public recognises that racism against Jewish people has skyrocketed, but the authorities have abysmally failed to rise to the occasion. Politicians, police and prosecutors, regulators, media organisations, cultural institutions, universities, trade unions – they are all complicit in the creation of a climate of hatred in Britain. Jews may feel it most sharply now, but for all of us, this is not the country that we used to know. Soon it will be too late for our country to change course.”

Full results

Jewish people can be trusted just as much as other British people in business

Strongly agree 36
Agree 39
Neither agree nor disagree 20
Disagree 3
Strongly disagree 2

Jewish people are just as loyal to Britain as other British people

Strongly agree 29
Agree 37
Neither agree nor disagree 27
Disagree 5
Strongly disagree 2

I am just as open to having Jewish friends as I am to having friends from other sections of British society

Strongly agree 54
Agree 33
Neither agree nor disagree 11
Disagree 2
Strongly disagree 1

Compared to other groups, Jewish people have too much power in the media

Strongly agree 4
Agree 9
Neither agree nor disagree 44
Disagree 25
Strongly disagree 18

Jewish people talk about the Holocaust just to further their political agenda

Strongly agree 3
Agree 6
Neither agree nor disagree 25
Disagree 31
Strongly disagree 35

Jewish people chase money more than other people do

Strongly agree 3
Agree 11
Neither agree nor disagree 40
Disagree 24
Strongly disagree 22

I am comfortable spending time with people who openly support Israel

Strongly agree 11
Agree 21
Neither agree nor disagree 45
Disagree 16
Strongly disagree 9

Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people

Strongly agree 18
Agree 40
Neither agree nor disagree 33
Disagree 5
Strongly disagree 4

Israel is right to defend itself against those who want to destroy it

Strongly agree 17
Agree 42
Neither agree nor disagree 32
Disagree 6
Strongly disagree 4

Israel and its supporters are a bad influence on our democracy

Strongly agree 11
Agree 18
Neither agree nor disagree 47
Disagree 15
Strongly disagree 8

Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media

Strongly agree 8
Agree 18
Neither agree nor disagree 43
Disagree 21
Strongly disagree 10

Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews

Strongly agree 20
Agree 25
Neither agree nor disagree 37
Disagree 11
Strongly disagree 8

Do you think the level of antisemitism in the UK has increased or decreased since October 2023, or stayed much the same?

Increased a lot 15
Increased a fair amount 36
Stayed much the same 23
Decreased a fair amount 1
Decreased a lot 1
Don’t know 24

Since 2023 there have been regular demonstrations in many city centres in support of Palestine. Generally speaking, do you have a positive or negative opinion of these demonstrations?

Very positive 12
Fairly positive 17
Neither positive nor negative 28
Fairly negative 13
Very negative 19
Don’t know 11

Many of the protests in support of Palestine in London on Saturdays are moving demonstrations (that is, marches). Do you think that these marches should be allowed to continue, or should they be restricted to static protests?

The demonstrations should be allowed to continue as marches 41
The demonstrations should be restricted to static protests 22
The demonstrations should not be allowed to continue at all 19
Don’t know 18

How much, if anything, do you think the demonstrations in favour of Palestine are achieving?

A lot 2
A fair amount 11
Not very much 42
Nothing at all 27
Don’t know 17

Thinking about the cost of policing the demonstrations in support of Palestine, do you think these costs should be paid by?

The police or the government 26
The organisers of the marches 58
Don’t know 16

Thinking about how the police are handling pro-Palestinians demonstrations, which of the following best reflects your view?

The police are being too relaxed and are allowing people to break the law and get away it 27
The police are being too strict and are arresting or charging people who are doing nothing wrong 22
The police are getting the balance about right 22
Don’t know 28

Do you have a favourable or unfavourable view of Hamas?

Very favourable 1
Somewhat favourable 2
Somewhat unfavourable 15
Very unfavourable 54
Don’t know 28

From what you have seen or heard, do you think the attacks that Hamas launched on Israel on 7th October 2023 were justified or unjustified?

Justified 7
Unjustified 62
Don’t know 31

The British Government currently classifies Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Do you think they are right or wrong to class them as terrorists?

Right to class them as terrorists 65
Wrong to class them as terrorists 6
Don’t know 29

Whether you have a positive or negative opinion towards it, so far as you know, what is the actual meaning of the term “Zionist”. If you don’t know, please say so, rather than taking a guess.

It means someone who believes there should be a Jewish homeland in the land of Israel 32
It means someone who believes Palestinians should be forcibly removed from Palestine 4
It means someone who is a supporter of the current Israel government 3
It means someone who is a practicing Jew who attends Synagogue 2
It is another word for someone who is a citizen of Israel 1
None of these 3
Don’t know 54

The Generalised Antisemitism Scale

The twelve statements – which include six relating to Judeophobic antisemitism and six relating to anti-Zionist antisemitism – together comprise the Generalised Antisemitism Scale.

The Generalised Antisemitism Scale was devised by Dr Daniel Allington of King’s College London, Dr David Hirsh of Goldsmiths, and Dr Louise Katz (then) of the University of Derby. The research behind the Generalised Antisemitism Scale has been peer reviewed.

In particular, in developing the Generalised Antisemitism Scale, they were guided by the International Definition of Antisemitism, which Campaign Against Antisemitism, together with other Jewish communal institutions from around the world, has long campaigned to be widely adopted.