ByMATHILDA HELLER
Updated:

Antisemitic hate crimes in London surged 72% in May from the month before, new Metropolitan Police statistics reveal.

The police recorded 255 antisemitic hate crimes in May 2025, up from 148 in April.

This also means that crimes targeting Jews have jumped by 172% compared to the same month last year (91 incidents).

Most of the incidents in May 2026 were concentrated in the borough of Barnet, where the Jewish neighborhoods of Golders Green, Hendon, and Finchley are located. Barnet was followed by Hackney in East London, Westminster, Camden, and Haringey.

In 28 of the 32 London boroughs, at least one antisemitic hate crime was logged by the Met in May 2026.

PEOPLE ATTEND a rally of Jewish community groups, including Campaign Against Antisemitism and Stop the Hate UK, calling for action to ''extinguish antisemitism'', outside Downing Street in London, Britain, May 10, 2026.
PEOPLE ATTEND a rally of Jewish community groups, including Campaign Against Antisemitism and Stop the Hate UK, calling for action to ''extinguish antisemitism'', outside Downing Street in London, Britain, May 10, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/CARLOS JASSO)

In total, there were 2,251 incidents listed as hate crimes in May 2026. Of these, 1,977 were listed as “racist or religious crimes,” 1,629 as “racist,” 472 as “faith crimes,” 263 as ‘homophobic,’ and 179 as “Islamophobic.”

Antisemitic hate crimes rise following arson, stabbing attacks

“This sharp rise in antisemitic hate crimes reflects the daily experiences of the Jewish community in London and corresponds to similar data recorded by CST over the same period,” a spokesperson for Community Security Trust (CST) told The Jerusalem Post.

“Most disturbing of all is that this increase appears to have been triggered by the series of arson attacks on the Jewish community and the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green at the end of April.

“This means that, as we saw after the October 7 attack in Israel and after the terror attack on the Heaton Park [Hebrew Congregation] synagogue in Manchester, attacks on Jews lead to more antisemitism, not less,” said the spokesperson.

CST welcomed the increase in police resources in Jewish community areas and the Crown Prosecution Service’s efforts to bring prosecutions to court more quickly.