New bus service launched to protect London’s Jews

Anti-Semitic incidents have reached record levels in the UK, but hatred of Muslims has also increased following the Hamas attack last October.

London transport authorities have introduced a new bus service linking two areas of the capital with large Jewish populations. This was necessary because the number of anti-Semitic crimes rose to an unprecedented level last year.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was shocked by the reports of attacks on Jews. According to him, many attacks took place when the victims were traveling between the two areas mentioned. Khan added that London’s Jewish community has been campaigning for a direct transport link for 16 years. The new service, which was recently introduced, provides a direct link between Golders Green and Stamford Hill, meaning passengers no longer have to change trains. Jewish groups welcomed this innovation.

Andrew Gilbert and Adrian Cohen, co-chairs of the London Jewish Forum, said: At a time when our community is facing unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism, any measure that boosts the confidence of Jewish citizens to use public transport is very welcome.

Anti-Semitic hate crimes reach a new high in 2023

According to the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism, antisemitic incidents in the UK reached a record high last year. The CST reported 4,103 antisemitic hate crimes in 2023, compared to 1,662 in 2022 and 2,255 in 2021. Online antisemitism accounted for 31% of all incidents in 2023, compared to 22% in 2022.

Two-thirds of incidents in 2023 occurred after the Hamas attack on October 7. According to CST, this suggests that the increase was not triggered by Israel’s military response in Gaza, but rather a celebration of Hamas’ attack on Israel. The study also found that the number of such incidents in and around UK schools has more than tripled since 2022.

Increased security measures in educational institutions

Rabbi Benjy Rickman, head of religious education at King David High School, said it is appalling that students are afraid to use public transportation simply because they are Jewish. He believes education is the key to combating anti-Semitism. And John Dalziel, the school’s principal, said there had always been anti-Semitic comments and in the background directed at students, but there had been an increase since Oct. 7.

Many Jewish schools have increased security measures since October last year, including King David High School in Manchester. Although students feel safe at the school, some report that they have been verbally abused on their way to and from school. According to those affected, verbal abuse on the street is part of everyday life for students. Several people also pointed out that they are afraid to go out on the street wearing a kippah because it significantly increases the risk of attacks.

However, it is not only secondary schools but also universities that are affected by the increase in anti-Semitism. Former higher education minister Robert Halfon called the figures “deeply worrying”. It is unacceptable that this form of hatred is occurring in education, he said. “I have contacted all vice-chancellors – reaching out to many personally – to ask them step up and crack down on antisemitism on university campuses. The government has been clear that hate crime on any kind will not be tolerated and anyone found to have committed it will face the full force of the law,” he added.

In November 2023, the UK government announced £7 million to help schools and universities tackle anti-Semitism.

How many Jews live in England and Wales?

According to the 2021 census, the population of England and Wales is 59.60 million. Ethnic minorities make up 18% of the total population, up from 14% in 2011.

287.360 people said they were Jewish, which is 0.5% of the total population. 219.160 people identified themselves as Jewish by religion, 16,030 by ethnicity and 52,165 by religion and ethnicity combined. Most (53.6%) people who identify as Jewish live in London.