New report shows alarming increase in anti-Zionist antisemitic incidents

A new report shows an alarming increase in the use of anti-Zionist rhetoric in antisemitic incidents in the UK.

According to the report by CST, 1,533 out of a total of 3,528 reported incidents in 2024 included explicitly anti-Zionist sentiment alongside anti-Jewish rhetoric or targeting. This number accounts for 43% of reported incidents, up from 31% in 2023.

Additionally, language relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict was reported in 52% of cases, a significant rise from 43% in 2023 and 15% in 2022.

The report outlined a range of disturbing incidents, including 2,892 cases of abusive behaviour, 201 incidents of assault, 250 threats, 27 cases of mass-produced antisemitic literature and 157 instances of damage and desecration. Alarmingly, for the second year in a row, almost a fifth – 16% – of the recorded incidents involved perpetrators under the age of eighteen, indicating the critical need for awareness and preventive measures to stop this trend.

Notably, the report also found that in 22% of reported incidents, children were among the victims.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The CST’s figures reveal a disturbing trend in the role of ‘anti-Zionist’ rhetoric in antisemitism. When 43% of reported antisemitic incidents exhibit anti-Zionist sentiment, it is evident that ‘Zionist’ has become a common proxy word for ‘Jew’. Those who deny this phenomenon are failing to understand contemporary manifestations of antisemitism and are part of the problem. Our police and universities have been failing to stand up to surging anti-Jewish hatred for far too long. It is time to act against hate, before it’s too late.”