Charity reports university antisemitism incidents well above pre-7 October level

The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors antisemitism and advises Britain's Jewish community on security, said incidents at UK universities remain far above their level before 7 October 2023. 1 2 It recorded 95 university-related incidents in 2025-26, up from 83 the year before. 1 2 The baseline was 53 incidents in 2022-23, the last year before the Hamas attack; the total peaked at 272 in 2023-24. 1 2

Most incidents involved abusive behaviour such as verbal abuse and graffiti. The report noted two cases of extreme violence in 2024-25 and six assaults across the two years. 1 2 Reuters, via The Straits Times, reported that 16 incidents over the two years were carried out by university staff. 2 CST chief executive Mark Gardner said Jews still face a "very serious campus antisemitism problem" and called the growing share involving staff "particularly troubling". 1

Education secretary Lucy Powell called the findings "deeply troubling" and said the government expects a zero-tolerance approach; Reuters quoted her saying no student should have to choose between expressing their identity and feeling safe. 1 2 Universities UK called the rise "a serious concern" and said more was needed on confidence in disciplinary processes. 1 The CST report said criticism of Israel is not inherently antisemitic, but that anti-Zionist language is often used alongside hostility towards Jews. 1