Report Says Number of Anti-Semitic Incidents in UK Doubles in 2014

More than 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the UK in 2014.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United Kingdom more than doubled in 2014 from the previous year, reaching 1,168, the Community Security Trust (CST) reported Thursday.

According to the report, the highest annual total of such cases was reached in 2014 – the first year the organization recorded more than 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents.

The previous record high, 931, was registered in 2009, 25 percent less than 2014's total.

Anti-Semitic reactions in Britain to the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip is named by CST as the largest contributing factor, with the highest-ever monthly total of 314 antisemitic incidents recorded in July, five times more than the figure for July 2013.

Greater London and Greater Manchester, areas with the largest Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, were the two places that saw the highest numbers of anti-Semitic incidents in the country in 2014.

According to the CST report, anti-Semitic incidents include violent assaults, damage and desecration of Jewish property, verbal abuse and direct threats.

In January, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council warned of the possible rise of anti-Semitism in Britain, as the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism reported record high numbers of anti-Semitic incidents in the country.

According to a census taken in 2011, over 260,000 people of Jewish descent currently reside in the United Kingdom.