The Jewish people wanting to flee the UK as antisemitism soars

Jewish people in Britain say they are considering leaving the country as it “feels like Nazi Germany”, amid a surge in antisemitic incidents since the 7 October Hamas massacre in Israel.

Physical attacks, threats and accusations of “slaughtering babies” are among the incidents suffered by terrified residents, after recent figures showed more than 4,000 reports of antisemitism last year.

This week, Rishi Sunak pledged an extra £54m for the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain. CST figures revealed there were 4,103 antisemitic incidents in the UK last year, way up from the previous record of 2,261 in 2021. The number of Islamophobic incidents in the UK has also soared.

And on Friday, the Board of Deputies of British Jews condemned George Galloway’s Rochdale by-election win as a “dark day” for the UK’s Jewish community. Mr Galloway – who has always denied allegations of antisemitism – won the seat from Labour, who were forced to disown their candidate, Azhar Ali, after he made “deeply offensive” comments about the 7 October attacks.

Among the victims of abuse in the UK is Jack Christie, 25, who says he had never felt threatened by antisemitism until recently. While on a train home after a march against antisemitism in November, Mr Christie and his friends were targeted by a man who used racial slurs and threatened to assault him.

“There was nothing to do with the conflict, just a few people holding signs about antisemitism like ‘never again means now’,” he told The Independent. “Some people were wearing kippahs on their heads and there were quite a few visibly Jewish people on the train.

“I was talking to my friend and then next to me I hear someone say ‘pigs’. The guy next to me was on FaceTime and says, ‘I’m on the train with a bunch of dirty Jewish pigs, scumbags and baby killers’.

He went on to accuse other passengers of “supporting killers”, being “donkeys” and branded them “child molesters”.

“No one said anything to spark a reaction, it was out of nowhere,” Mr Christie said, adding that it has made him not want to be openly Jewish on public transport anymore. “It wasn’t even about Israel, it was just plainly antisemitic.”

When he uploaded footage of the incident on social media, the tech professional received a barrage of threats and abuse.

“I got many hate comments and even had people say to find the boy in the orange jumper [himself] and that I should be lynched,” he said. “I was scared as this happened near where I lived. I was looking over my shoulder for a long time and for a few months I stopped wearing my necklace.”

Another Jewish person who shared their experience of antisemitism is a 47 year-old woman, who says she has been attacked several times since 7 October.

Sharon, who did not want to give her surname, said she was approached by a man who began aggressively questioning her religion and the conflict in Israel, while she was putting up hostage posters in east London.

When she began filming the incident for her safety, the man pushed her to the ground and snatched her phone before smashing it on the pavement. The man then tried to punch her as she tried to get her phone back, she added.

It was the second antisemitic attack Sharon had suffered within a matter of weeks. While out in the Kensal Rise area of London, she says she was faced with a barrage of antisemitic abuse after she confronted a woman and her young daughter tearing down missing hostage posters.

She was told she was a “child slaughterer” before the woman hurling abuse told her that she, “used to feel guilty [about being antisemitic], but not anymore”.

“Every time this happens, it’s like someone is reaching out and ripping out my heart,” Sharon said. “I don’t feel safe anymore. None of us feel safe. I feel like I have to put another lock on the door because Britain feels like Nazi Germany.

She added that she feels she has been forced to consider leaving the country as she no longer feels welcome in Britain as a Jew.

“I’m scared to go out,” she explained. “I’m always looking behind me to check if someone’s following me.

“Everyone feels like this. Everybody’s thinking about leaving and having conversations with friends about whether to stay or not.

“I’m definitely not staying, I think by the end of the year, I will be gone. There’s no room for people like me in London – it’s turned into a fascist state.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the scale of antisemitic incidents seen across the UK since 7 October is “terrifying”.

“According to our polling, more than six in ten British Jews have either personally experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since 7 October or know somebody who has,” a spokesperson said. “The Jewish community in this country is on high alert, and there is no end in sight.”

If you have been a victim of antisemitism you can report it to the CST by emailing incidents@cst.org.ukor calling 0800 032 3263