Hate crime offences against Jews in England and Wales rise by 49 % over past year
New Home Office statistics confirm that Jews and Muslims are the main target of rising religiously motivated hate crime between March 2021-22 with 23 per cent of all offences involving antisemitism
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Police in England and Wales recorded 1,919 hate crimes targeting Jews in the year ending March 2022 – a staggering 49 per cent increase on the previous year.
Newly released Home Office statistics showed 23 per cent of all religious hate crime offences were directed at the Jewish community during that period.
In year ending March 2022, where the perceived religion of the victim was recorded, two in five (42%) of religious hate crime offences were shown to be targeted against Muslims (3,459 offences).
The next most commonly targeted group were Jewish people, who were targeted in just under one in four (23%) of religious hate crimes (1,919 offences).
With under 300, 000 Jews living in the UK, the statistics confirm that the community was disproportionately targeted during the 12 month period.
Religious hate crimes increased by 37 per cent between year ending March 2021 and year ending March 2022 (from 6,383 to 8,730).
This increase follows two years where the number of these offences had fallen.
Better recording of hate crime by police can explain some of this rise, but the Community Security Trust (CST) said the even allowing for improved police methods “this is a staggering and deeply troubling increase in anti-Jewish hate.”
But CST also suggested the dramatic increase in hate crimes directed at Jews was”probably due to antisemitic reactions to the May 2021 Israel/Gaza war.”
Figures published on Thursday confirmed there were 155,841 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, a 26 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
This was the biggest percentage increase in hate crimes since year ending March 2017, when there was a 29 per cent rise.
Explaining the rise in hate crimes, the Home Office said:”Due to significant improvements in police recorded crime made in recent years, it is uncertain to what degree the increase in police recorded hate crime is a genuine rise, or due to continued recording improvements and more victims having the confidence to report these crimes to the police.”
Hate crime is defined as “any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic.”
The statistics showed that while religiously linked offences rose by 37 per cent, there was a 41 per cent rise in offences that were linked to sexual orientation, and a 52 per cent rise in offences linked to transgender issues.
The Home Office said:”Transgender issues have been heavily discussed on social media over the last year, which may have led to an increase in related hate crimes.”
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