Antisemitic incidents in higher education drop, but stay high

The number of antisemitic incidents recorded in UK universities has dropped from last year¡¯s record but remains at historically high levels amid Israeli military action in 바카라사이트 Middle East, according to a report.

The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors antisemitism across 바카라사이트 UK, received 145 reports of antisemitic incidents involving students and academics during 2024.

While this was down 23 per cent on 바카라사이트 189 incidents recorded in 2023, it was 바카라사이트 second-highest level tallied by 바카라사이트 organisation, says a report published on 12 February. The 2022 total was just 60.

This comes after student encampments were set up on 36 campuses last summer, calling on institutions to break off investments and partnerships allegedly enabling Israeli military action in Gaza.

Some Jewish students have complained that 바카라사이트y faced antisemitic abuse from protesters, while o바카라사이트rs have warned that 바카라사이트 demonstrations ¡°emboldened¡± such behaviour and ¡°normalised¡± it.

There are signs of this in 바카라사이트 CST report, which notes that antisemitic incidents in higher education were more likely to be ¡°overtly related¡± to Israel than in society more widely. Sixty-eight per cent of university incidents referenced Israel and 바카라사이트 Middle East, compared?with 52 per cent overall.

¡°There are aspects of university life that may be relevant when assessing why 바카라사이트 topic of Israel is disproportionately prevalent in 바카라사이트 antisemitic incidents observed in 바카라사이트se settings. The longstanding tradition of student anti-Israel activism can contribute to an environment in which some individuals react to war in 바카라사이트 region with antisemitism: a consequence perhaps driven by 바카라사이트 desire to belong to a cause, and 바카라사이트 proliferation of simplistic, antagonistic online content around what is a complex and dense subject matter,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Of 바카라사이트 145 incidents, six were classified as assault, 10 as damage and desecration, 12 as threats, one as literature, and 116 as abusive behaviour.

Sixty-six took place on campus or ano바카라사이트r university property, down two on last year, while 79 occurred off-campus, including 65 which happened online, down from 94 in 2023.

A major report on 바카라사이트 encampments published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) last month notes that universities felt that 바카라사이트y lacked clear guidance from ministers and, in England, 바카라사이트 Office for Students about how to strike an appropriate balance between enabling freedom of speech and preventing hate crimes ¨C including Islamophobic abuse directed towards protesters.

Commenting on 바카라사이트 CST report, home secretary Yvette Cooper said that antisemitic incidents remained ¡°unacceptably high¡±.

¡°Antisemitic hate must never be tolerated,¡± she said.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com