92% British Jews say media bias is fueling antisemitism

New research shows the Jewish community in the UK feels unsafe and unprotected, and that the media is fueling the problem.

In a poll recently carried out by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) surveying over 4,000 Jewish people in the UK, only a third (34%) felt they had a long-term future in the UK. An astonishing 92% believe media bias against Israel fuels persecution of Jews in Britain, with the same number, 92%, considering the BBC coverage as unfavorable. The Guardian also had a significant majority (69%) of British Jews describing its coverage as unfavorable.

The survey found that only 43% feel welcome in the UK, and the majority of British Jews (58%) hide their Judaism due to antisemitism. While 67% expressed concern about the threat from the far-right, far more mentioned the threat from Islamists and the far-left (95% and 91% respectively). More than nine in ten British Jews do not believe that the authorities do enough to protect the Jewish community from Islamists.

Three-quarters of respondents said they were dissatisfied with how their local police forces have been policing anti-Israel marches in their cities and 85% said they were dissatisfied with London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s performance in relation to the Jewish community since Oct 7, 2023.

The significant majority, 62%, did not feel confident that police would prosecute an antisemitic crime if they were to report it. Less than one-tenth of British Jews believe that the authorities are doing enough to address and punish antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said, “British Jews have lost trust in the criminal justice system in general, which they do not feel is protecting them, and in the [Police of the Metropolis] Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in particular, after he has presided over the worst surge in antisemitism in living memory, opting for excuses over action and gaslighting those who call him out. It is time for arrests and a ban on the anti-Israel marches.”

The majority also expressed concern about antisemitism in political parties, with 72% saying that the Green Party is too tolerant of antisemitism among their MPs, councillors, members and supporters, even more so than the Labour Party at 71%. A slight majority, 52% also felt the SNP [Scottish National Party] were too tolerant of antisemitism in the party.

The situation on British university campuses was also an area of serious concern, with just 3% confident that if a Jewish student reported an antisemitic incident on campus, the university's administration would take appropriate action.

When asked about the impact of boycotts of Israeli artists, academics or businesses selling Israeli products, 84% of British Jews felt they constitute intimidation.

Given these statistics it should not come as a great surprise that half of the British Jews in the survey indicated that they had considered leaving Britain in the past two years due to antisemitism, and the vast majority did not feel they had a long-term future in the country.

Among 18-24-year-olds, the number considering leaving is 67%. The main reason given, cited by 76%, is the surge in antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023.

“From politics to the BBC to universities, the Jewish community sees betrayal across our civil and cultural institutions. The cumulative result is that less than half of British Jews feel welcome in the UK. Antisemitism has become our nation’s great shame, and time is running out,” said the CAA spokesperson.

“As we reflect today on historic antisemitism, as a society we also have to ask ourselves: why are we doing so little about antisemitism right here, right now? The truth is that Britain and the authorities are failing the Jewish community. These figures paint a sobering picture of the lives of British Jews and their future.”

Fieldwork was conducted between June 3-11, 2024. In total, 4,078 responses were obtained.