A police officer stands by a cordon at the scene, after a man was arrested following a stabbing incident in the Golders Green area, which is home to a large Jewish population, in London, Britain. Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom surged 21 percent during the first half of 2026, reaching the second-highest total ever recorded for the period, according to a report released Wednesday — pointing to an increasingly hostile climate facing Britain’s Jewish community amid rising violence and persistent anti-Jewish hatred.

The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish charity that monitors antisemitism and provides security for Jewish communities across the country, released preliminary figures for the first half of 2026 showing 1,926 anti-Jewish hate incidents between January and June, up from 1,598 during the same period last year.

With an average of 321 antisemitic incidents recorded every month, the latest figures represent nearly double the levels seen before the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

CST reported a sharp escalation in the severity of antisemitic attacks, with physical assaults soaring 82 percent to 135 cases, school-related incidents climbing 59 percent to 178, and antisemitic acts targeting synagogues increasing 31 percent, underscoring growing fears for the safety of Britain’s Jewish community.

Across the UK, Jewish communities have faced an escalating wave of antisemitic violence, intimidation, vandalism, arson attacks, street harassment, and physical assaults over the past two years, fueling widespread concerns over public safety as anti-Jewish hatred has become increasingly visible in cities and towns nationwide.

One of the most serious antisemitic attacks in recent months was the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, which came amid a broader surge in anti-Jewish violence in London and as the British government raised the national terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe” over an increased risk from Islamist and other extremist ideologies.

Since the beginning of the year, Britain’s Jewish community has also been shaken by a series of suspected arson attacks targeting synagogues and Jewish-linked properties across London, including the torching of Hatzola ambulances and fires at multiple Jewish places of worship.

CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner warned that the latest figures reflect an increasingly dangerous environment for British Jews, saying the continued rise in antisemitic violence and intimidation poses a growing threat not only to the Jewish community but to British society as a whole.

“These attacks should concern everyone who cares about Britain and the threats against it, whether state-directed from Iran, or internally driven by Islamist, far Right, far Left, or other ideological extremes,” Gardner said in a statement. “These attacks are directed against British Jews, but they are also attacks on Britain and our society.”

Amid growing security concerns and an increasingly hostile environment for the country’s Jewish community, the British government announced last month an additional £25 million ($33.7 million) in funding to strengthen security at Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers, bringing total government support this year to a record £58 million ($78.2 million).

Calling the latest figures “appalling,” UK Minister of State for Policing and Crime Sarah Jones warned that the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents underscores the urgent need to confront what she described as a growing scourge of hatred threatening Britain’s Jewish community and the country’s social fabric.

“Antisemitism goes against our country’s values and I will do everything in my power to protect our Jewish communities,” Jones said in a statement. “Thousands of Jewish families are living in fear in their own country, and it is completely unacceptable. This is a national emergency.”