Antisemitic hate crimes in UK soar to record high, study finds

The London-based NGO, which is dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance law enforcement, said that new figures obtained from all U.K. police forces show a 44% surge in hate crimes targeting Jews from 2014 to 2016.

A total of 1,078 antisemitic crimes, of which 105 involved violence, was recorded in 2016, according to the data. However, only 15 cases, including just one involving violence, were ultimately prosecuted, leading to the conviction of 17 criminals.

In 2015, 12 antisemitic crimes were prosecuted, of which three involved violence, leading to 17 convictions, the report said.

“Despite promises to crack down on anti-Semitic crimes, the number of antisemitic crimes charged in 2016 decreased drastically, again,” the group said on its website.

“2016 saw the number of antisemitic crimes charged plummet by 30.5% compared to 2015, or 35.5% against 2014, when antisemitic crimes began to surge. In 2016, only 89 anti-Semitic crimes resulted in charges being brought, meaning that only 8.3% of hate crimes against Jews resulted in charges. Astonishingly, 48.9% of the police forces which received reports of antisemitic crimes did not charge a single one of them.”

The NGO warned that anti-Semitic crimes appeared to be worsening in the first half of 2017, with incidents including the firebombing of kosher restaurants in Manchester, a man brandishing a meat cleaver and machete who chased after Jews before being stopped by police, and the closing down of London’s iconic shopping streets to make way for a major pro-Hezbollah march.

British Home Secretary Amber Rudd issued a statement promising to “consider the report’s recommendations carefully.”

“Hate crime of any type is not acceptable. Everyone in this country has the right to be safe from violence and persecution. We are working together to tackle anti-Semitic hate crime in all its forms and using the full force of the law to protect every person in the U.K. Our Hate Crime Action Plan has encouraged further action against hate crime across the police and criminal justice system. This includes encouraging more victims to report incidents to the police. We will consider the report’s recommendations carefully as we develop new ways to rid the country of this sickening crime,” she said.

The NGO’s chairman, Gideon Falter, said that “2016 was the worst year on record for anti-Semitic crime, yet instead of protecting British Jews, the authorities prosecuted merely 15 cases of anti-Semitic hate crime, including one solitary violent crime.

“The failure of police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service to protect British Jews is a betrayal. The solutions are simple, but while the right promises are being made, little has been implemented. The result is that British Jews continue to endure intolerable levels of hate crime. Britain has the political will to fight anti-Semitism and strong laws with which to do it, but those responsible for tackling the rapidly growing racist targeting of British Jews are failing to enforce the law. There is a very real danger of Jewish citizens emigrating, as has happened elsewhere in Europe, unless there is radical change.”

Also on Sunday, the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities warned that hate crimes against Jews in Scotland show a disconcerting rise.

Scottish authorities have recorded 26 anti-Semitic incidents in 2016, while a further 19 “non-criminal” anti-Semitic incidents also took place.

In 2016, a study funded by the Scottish government found that the Jewish community “was feeling increasingly afraid — with many opting to keep their Judaism a secret,” The Scotsman news website said.

The report, carried out by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, found that some of Scotland’s 5,887 Jews said they had stopped attending synagogue services due to fear of anti-Semitism, were the victims of anti-Semitic jokes or social media posts, and felt victimized for being Jewish.