Barnet sees highest increase in anti-Semitic incidents, police figures show
Barnet saw the highest increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the six months to October, police figures have shown.
The borough witnessed 46 incidents during the period from April to mid-September that included the conflict between Israel and Hamas, compared to 15 in the same period last year.
Hackney saw the second highest rise in London, with 35 compared to 16 in Hackney.
Cabinet minister and Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers, who was among the London MPs to hold urgent talks with the home secretary over the summer amid the sharp rise in anti-Semitism nationwide, said: “I have a long track record on working to combat anti-Semitism including taking part in the All-Party Inquiry into anti-Semitism in 2005-6.
I am in regular contact with the police to urge them to take this issue very seriously. I was encouraged that police patrols were stepped up in various parts of the borough to provide reassurance to the Jewish community.
I will continue to highlight my concerns on this problem and urge the police to do all they can to prevent anti-Semitic crime.”
There have been 182 anti-Semitic offences in London, compared with 69 offences during the same period in 2013. Harassment Act offences make up two-thirds of the total.
A Met statement said: “The proportion of people charged has increased to 23 charges in this period compared to 13 charges in the same period in 2013.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
