People attend a rally of Jewish community groups, including Campaign Against Antisemitism and Stop the Hate UK, calling for action to “extinguish antisemitism,” outside Downing Street in London, Britain, May 10, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

Antisemitism at British universities is on the rise, with incidents up nearly 80% from before the October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, a report by a charity which provides security advice to Britain’s Jewish community said on Wednesday.

The Community Security Trust (CST) said it had recorded 178 university-related antisemitic incidents between the 2024 to 2026 academic years, with a 14% increase during 2025/26.

In total there were 95 incidents in 2025/26. That compared to 53 recorded in 2022/23, the last year before the Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli campaign in Gaza.

Most incidents involved abusive behavior, such as verbal abuse, antisemitic comments, or graffiti aimed at students, staff, or Jewish organizations. But there were two incidents of extreme violence in 2024/25 and six assaults across the two-year period.

During the two years covered by the report, 16 antisemitic incidents were perpetrated by university staff, the CST said.

“No student should have to choose between expressing their identity and feeling safe on campus, yet for too many Jewish students that remains a reality,” British education minister Lucy Powell said.