Campus antisemitism climbs for a second straight year, charity finds

A charity that tracks antisemitic incidents across UK universities says reports affecting students, staff and academics rose in the most recent academic year, pointing to a renewed deterioration on campus after a brief period of decline. The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism nationally, recorded 95 incidents it classed as "university-related" in 2025-26, against 83 in the year before.

That increase comes despite the numbers having fallen sharply from their peak. Before the Hamas attack on Israel of 7 October 2023, the CST logged 53 such incidents in 2022-23. The following academic year, 2023-24, that figure surged to 272. Reports then dropped the year after, before climbing again in the current academic year, a pattern the charity's report describes as a fall followed by renewed growth. Even with that fall, the charity says the level of antisemitism on campuses remains "substantially higher" than it was before October 2023.

The report covers the past two academic years and draws on incidents reported to the trust. It defines an antisemitic incident as "university-related" when it involves a student, member of staff or academic at a UK university acting in an academic or student capacity — a definition that captures events both on campus and online.

Violence and abuse remain the most serious strand of the data, but far more common is everyday hostility. Across the two years examined, the most frequently recorded category was abusive behaviour, encompassing verbal abuse, comments made face to face or posted online, and antisemitic graffiti.

More serious incidents were also reported. The charity said that, for the first time, it recorded two occurrences of extreme violence during 2024-25. Over both academic years there were six reported assaults, eight incidents of damage or desecration targeting Jewish property — five of them in student accommodation — and ten threats.

A significant share of the abuse is tied to the Middle East conflict. Around two-thirds of reported incidents involved antisemitic language or targeting alongside references to Israel, Gaza, Hamas, the 7 October attack and the conflicts that followed. The war in Gaza began after the Hamas assault on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive on Gaza that the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed around 74,000 people.

The trust is careful to distinguish political criticism from antisemitism. Its report notes that "criticism of Israel and Zionism is not inherently antisemitic", but says the data continue to show anti-Zionist language being used "frequently" alongside hostility towards Jewish people and Jewish organisations — a pattern that makes it harder for universities to separate legitimate debate from harassment.

Mark Gardner, the CST's chief executive, said Jews are "still facing a very serious campus antisemitism problem". He singled out staff as a growing concern, saying it was "particularly troubling" that an increasing share of anti-Jewish actions now involve university employees rather than students. Universities, he argued, have a duty to ensure Jewish students and staff can study, work and take part in campus life "the same as anyone else".

The sector body Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, echoed that assessment. Its chief executive, Vivienne Stern, said the rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK, including on campuses, was a serious concern and that universities have a responsibility to protect Jewish students and staff from abuse. She also pointed to a need to make the line clearer to the student body, so that people understand where the expression of a strongly held opinion tips over into antisemitism and harassment.

Stern said UUK has worked with the trust and others on guidance for universities, but conceded there was "more to do", particularly in building confidence in the effectiveness of disciplinary processes — an admission that formal sanctions, however robust on paper, may not be trusted by those who report abuse.

The government has also responded to the findings. Lucy Powell, education secretary for England, called the report "deeply troubling" and said universities should take a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism. She said training is being provided to help university staff identify and respond to incidents quickly.

Student representatives are pressing for faster and more visible action. Raphi Leon, president of the Union of Jewish Students, said the report "must be a shot in the arm" to boost support for Jewish students and tackle antisemitism on campus.

Taken together, the figures present a mixed picture for universities. Reported violence is rare in absolute terms, but the emergence of extreme incidents and the growing involvement of staff suggest the problem is not confined to a small fringe, nor limited to students alone. With the numbers rising again after two years in which they had begun to recede, the pressure on campuses to demonstrate that their reporting, support and disciplinary systems work in practice — rather than simply on paper — is likely to keep building.