(JNS) A new survey found that 96% of British Jews feel less safe than they did before Oct. 7, 2023, while 98% believe antisemitism has increased since then. More than half—59%—said they avoid displaying visible signs of their Jewish identity out of fear linked to antisemitism.
The survey, conducted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), a British non-governmental organization, found that nearly half of respondents, 45%, said they do not feel welcome in Britain, compared with fewer than one-third, 32%, who said they do.
A little more than half of British Jews, 51%, said they do not see a long-term future for themselves in the United Kingdom, while fewer than a quarter, 23%, said they do.
The survey was conducted between Nov. 3 and Nov. 20, among 4,490 Jews living in the United Kingdom.
Almost all respondents, 96%, view Islamists as a serious threat.
A clear majority, 61%, said they have considered leaving the United Kingdom in the past two years. Most cited the surge in antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, as the primary reason, while nearly half also pointed to broader anti-Jewish prejudice in society and Jew-hatred within political parties.
Some 91% of respondents do not believe the authorities are doing enough to tackle religious extremism, and 89% say not enough is being done to confront political extremism.
Just 14% of British Jews think the police are doing enough to protect them. Only 10% believe that reporting an antisemitic hate crime will lead to a prosecution, while 77% believe it will not, even when sufficient evidence exists. Similarly, just 10% say the courts are doing enough to protect them, while 71% disagree.
Politically, British Jews—like the broader public—express deep disappointment with the Labour government currently in power, whose standing has collapsed in general opinion polls after about a year and a half in office. Some 80% of British Jews believe the current government is bad for the Jewish community, while just 4% think otherwise. Only 6% say the government is doing enough to protect the Jewish community, while 93% say it is not.
Nearly nine in 10 British Jews, 89%, view anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism, compared with 8% who do not. An overwhelming 95% say the phrase “globalize the intifada” constitutes a call for violence against the Jewish people.
“They blame the conduct of the government, police and indifferent prosecutors for the eruption of antisemitic extremism that has left two Jews dead and fueled deep frustration within the Jewish community,” a CAA spokesperson said.
“History teaches us that when Jews start packing their bags, a society is in danger. The British police announcement of tougher action against inciters is too little and too late. After two years of weak policing and institutional cowardice, there is still a disturbing lack of urgency from the authorities,” the spokesperson said. “Appeasement of extremists has yielded predictable results—people murdered by Islamists, the growing radicalization of our children, the erosion of law enforcement and now a community questioning whether it even has a place in this country.
The spokesperson concluded that “until politicians and police chiefs find the courage to act forcefully, Britain will continue its slide into the abyss that extremists have opened beneath our feet.”
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
