Antisemitism on the rise at universities, charity warns

The Community Security Trust (CST), which tracks antisemitic incidents, says reports involving UK university students and staff increased in the last academic year. The total had dropped from its high point after the Hamas attack on Israel and the start of the Gaza war, but remains well above earlier levels.

The CST counts incidents connected to people in their university roles, whether they occur on campus or online. Its report says incidents declined in 2024-25 before rising again in 2025-26.

Abusive conduct was the most frequently recorded category across the two years, including verbal remarks and graffiti. The charity also recorded six assaults, eight cases involving damage to or desecration of Jewish property, and ten threats; five property cases involved student housing.

England’s education secretary, Lucy Powell, called the report’s findings deeply troubling. The CST says criticism of Israel or Zionism is not automatically antisemitic, while warning that anti-Zionist language often appears alongside hostility toward Jewish people and organisations.

Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern said the trend was a serious concern. The group has worked with the CST and others on university guidance, but Stern said institutions still need to strengthen confidence in their disciplinary procedures.