Number of antisemitic hate crimes in London skyrockets, say police

The number of antisemitic hate crimes reported in London surged 72% last month, according to police statistics.

By World Israel News Staff

Antisemitic hate crimes recorded by London’s Metropolitan Police rose sharply in May, with Jewish community leaders warning that a wave of attacks on Jewish sites and individuals has deepened fears across the capital.

Police recorded 255 antisemitic hate crimes in May, up from 148 in April, a 72% month-on-month increase, according to figures analyzed by the

Antisemitic hate crimes recorded by London’s Metropolitan Police rose sharply in May, with Jewish community leaders warning that a wave of attacks on Jewish sites and individuals has deepened fears across the capital.

Police recorded 255 antisemitic hate crimes in May, up from 148 in April, a 72% month-on-month increase, according to figures analyzed by the Press Association and reported by The Independent.

The rise was the largest monthly increase since late 2023, when antisemitic offenses surged after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and the start of the Gaza war.

The increase was concentrated heavily in areas with large Jewish populations. Barnet, the north London borough that includes Golders Green, Hendon and Finchley, recorded 76 antisemitic hate crimes, accounting for about 30% of the citywide total.

Hackney recorded 40, Westminster 29, Camden and Haringey 16 each, and Tower Hamlets 11. Overall, antisemitic hate crimes were logged in 28 of London’s 32 boroughs in May.

The figures followed several high-profile incidents targeting Jewish people and Jewish-linked sites.

Police investigated an arson attack at a former synagogue in Whitechapel on May 5, and officers were sent to Tower Hamlets on May 15 after a video circulated online showing a man threatening that “Jews gonna get beheaded.”

The Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism in Britain, said the May rise appeared to have been triggered by the previous month’s attacks, including arson incidents and the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green.

“This means that, as we saw after the October 7 attack in Israel and after the terror attack on Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester, attacks on Jews lead to more antisemitism, not less,” the CST said.

The group said it welcomed additional police resources in Jewish areas and faster work by prosecutors, adding that it would continue working with police and community partners “to reduce the impact of this hate crime.”

The May numbers came after April had already marked a two-year high for antisemitic hate crimes in London.

The Met recorded 140 antisemitic offenses in April, including attempted arson attacks at Finchley Reform Synagogue and at the former premises of Jewish Futures in Hendon, as well as an attempted arson at a memorial wall in Golders Green.

A double stabbing in Golders Green on April 29 was placed under a terrorism investigation.

In response to the worsening threat picture, the Metropolitan Police announced a new community protection team combining neighborhood policing with counterterrorism capabilities.

The Guardian reported that the force planned to deploy 100 extra officers to provide a more consistent protective presence around Jewish communities.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has warned that antisemitism is being fueled from multiple directions, including hostile states and extremist ideologies.

“Legitimate concern or debate about international affairs must never be allowed to be used to legitimize antisemitism or violence against Jewish people here in Britain,” he said in a statement after the Golders Green attack. “When that line is blurred, attacks become more likely.”

Rowley said police had “significantly stepped up” operations across the capital, with thousands of additional officer shifts deployed and intensified investigations leading to 28 arrests in recent weeks, eight of them resulting in charges.

“If you act out of hatred, racism or antisemitism, we will come after you and you will face the consequences,” he said.

The hate-crime figures were released the same week a government-commissioned review into antisemitism in Britain’s National Health Service found “evidence of routine ostracism of Jewish people.”

Lord John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism and author of the review, said the level of anti-Jewish racism in Britain “constitute[s] a national emergency.”

Jewish groups have called for stronger action, including faster arrests and prosecutions, tougher responses to incitement, and greater protection for Jewish institutions.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said in May that the community remained “strong, proud and resilient,” adding: “We call on all parts of our society to stand with us against extremism.”

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