There has been a “sizeable fall” in antisemitic incidents at British universities, but reports remain historically high, a study has found.

The Community Security Trust (CST) found that incidents of antisemitism at higher education institutions affecting Jewish students, academics and student unions have fallen from 98 occurrences reported between January and June 2024 to 35 incidents in the first six months of 2025.

This marks a 64 per cent year-on-year decline but the report noted that this is still double the 17 cases logged in the same period in 2023. 

A CST spokesperson told ̽����Ƶ that the growth of antisemitism on British campuses was “appalling” and “an affront to the fundamental principles and values of university life”. 

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“While there has been a decline in university-related incidents since the all-time high of 2024, they remain twice as high as before the October 7 terror attack in Israel in 2023. There is also a danger that the fall in incidents partly reflects a drop in reporting by Jewish students, some of whom feel disillusioned by a lack of action over campus antisemitism. 

“University authorities need to crack down and ensure that Jewish students are able to go about their day-to-day university life free from anti-Jewish hatred.”

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Of the 35 university-related incidents, two were classified as extreme violence, two as assault, one as damage and desecration to Jewish property, two as threats, 26 as abusive behaviour and two as mass-produced antisemitic literature. 

Sixteen of the incidents took place on campus or university property, compared with 46 in the first six months of 2024. A further 19 took place away from campuses, including 13 that occurred online. This compares with 52 and 46 incidents respectively over the same time frame in 2024.

Incidents at higher education institutes were more likely to involve anti-Israel-related discourse, with 60 per cent of instances including anti-Israel rhetoric, compared with 51 per cent of all incidents that were not linked to university life.

The report says that “several aspects” of university life may be pertinent in assessing why conflict in the Middle East is represented “disproportionately often” in the language of campus-based antisemitism, including a “longstanding tradition” of anti-Israel student activism “which can contribute towards an environment in which some individuals may feel encouraged or emboldened to respond to the current war in the region with antisemitism”. 

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Campus resource: To combat antisemitism in HE, teach students about Jewish history

Pro-Gaza encampments were widespread during the last academic year but less prominent this year as the war entered its second consecutive year, and universities – including Queen Mary University of London and the University of Birmingham – pursued legal routes to shut down the encampments.

Overall, CST recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first half of 2025 – the second-highest total ever reported to CST in the first six months of any year. This is a 25 per cent fall from the 2,019 antisemitic incidents recorded in the same period in 2024.

The government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord Mann, said antisemitism was still occurring at “an unprecedented level”. 

“Antisemitism must be recognised by everyone as anti-Jewish racism and there must be a no-tolerance approach to it across civil society at all levels. I will continue to work with the CST to make sure that the Jewish community can enjoy the same freedom and rights as the rest of society. We must not allow this level of anti-Jewish hatred to continue,” he said.

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juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com