Antisemitism is having a measurable effect on British Jewish students’ safety, sense of belonging, academic participation and willingness to express Jewish identity on campus. According to Reuters, recorded incidents fell from the extraordinary 2023/24 peak, but they remain substantially above pre-October 7 levels, and student testimony suggests that intimidation and social exclusion continue to shape campus life.

Rising campus incidents

The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 178 university-related antisemitic incidents across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years: 83 in the first and 95 in the second, a 14% year-on-year rise. Ynetnews reports that this is 65% higher than the 108 incidents logged across the two academic years before October 7, 2023.

Most incidents involve abusive behaviour. CST classified 149 of the 178 incidents from 2024–26 as verbal abuse, antisemitic comments, graffiti or written abuse aimed at Jewish students, staff or organisations, according to Ynetnews.

Safety, fear and identity

Jewish students interviewed by the BBC described antisemitism as “normalised” and said some routinely conceal visible signs of Jewish identity, such as wearing a Star of David, to avoid hostility. Students at more than 10 universities in England and Wales reported abuse, threats and a wider culture of antisemitism.

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) surveyed 1,000 students across 170 institutions. As Sky News reported, 23% had witnessed behaviour targeting Jewish students because of their religion or ethnicity, and 20% said they would be reluctant to, or would never, share housing with a Jewish student, an indicator of social exclusion beyond formal campus settings.

Israel–Palestine protests and campus climate

The Israel–Palestine conflict has become a central flashpoint. CST’s data shows that incidents involving Israel- or Middle East-related discourse rose sharply after October 7: 73% of university-related incidents in 2024 and 76% in 2025 included such evidence, falling to 66% in the first half of 2026.

CST has urged universities to separate legitimate criticism of Israeli policy from antisemitism, and to enforce that line through disciplinary processes.Summary of CST’s Campus Report 2024–26

Consequences for learning and belonging

The effects reach beyond single incidents. UJS’s Time for Change report documented disrupted study, weakened belonging, social ostracisation, harassment, intimidation and, in some cases, physical assault, as cited by Times Higher Education. A 2026 nationally representative survey cited there reached similar findings. These outcomes can affect course participation, wellbeing, engagement with Jewish societies and confidence in university complaint systems.

Social media and group chats: the amplifier

Social media and private online groups spread abuse quickly, normalise hostile language, identify individuals and carry threats from digital spaces into physical campus life, CST says. It counts social-media posts as incidents when a UK-based offender or victim is involved, treating online abuse as no less serious than offline abuse.

Across the UK, CST recorded 1,541 online antisemitic incidents in 2025, or 42% of all incidents and a record annual total. In the first half of 2026 it logged 1,926 incidents overall, with online abuse still a substantial share.

Online platforms harm students in several connected ways. Select each to read more.

Institutional and government response

Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, says members are working to improve support, reporting and campus safety for Jewish students, and has convened leaders with CST, UJS and the Office for Students on guidance and good practice, according to the BBC. Lucy Powell told Reuters that no student should have to choose between expressing their identity and feeling safe, reflecting official concern that current arrangements fall short.

On the online front, the government says the Online Safety Act obliges platforms to protect users from illegal hate speech, and that Ofcom has begun enforcement against non-compliant platforms (GOV.UK).

Sources: BBC; UJS.

Beyond campus: families look to Israel

Growing antisemitism across Britain is prompting a rising number of Jewish families to consider leaving for Israel, and Israeli immigration officials describe an extraordinary sense of urgency among prospective immigrants.

More than 1,200 British Jews attended an immigration fair in London on Sunday to explore relocating to Israel. A further 130 Jewish doctors took part in a separate event on employment opportunities in Israel’s healthcare system, Ynet News reports.

Deganit Sanker-Lange, director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, said the growing determination among British Jews to leave marks a dramatic shift.

“I’ve been in the business of aliyah for many, many years, and I’ve never seen the sense of urgency that we’re seeing right now. Basically, it’s an earthquake.”Deganit Sanker-Lange, Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, speaking to Ynet News

The events took place under heightened security, with pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathering outside and handing out anti-Israel literature.

Antisemitism remains a significant factor, but Sanker-Lange stressed that professional opportunities, national identity and the wish to build a future in Israel are also drawing people. Israel has increasingly prioritised Jewish immigration from Britain and France, where concerns about antisemitism have driven growing interest in relocation.

For students and recent graduates, worries about safety, isolation and professional belonging can combine with Israel’s recruitment of young Jewish professionals, particularly in medicine, to make aliyah feel more immediate than before October 2023, the BBC reports.