(JTA) — The number of religion-based hate crimes against Jews in England and Wales nearly doubled last year, according to a government report.
The data from a Home Office report published this week lists 1,326 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018, or 18 percent of the overall number of hate crimes — almost twice as many as the 672 anti-Semitic incidents recorded in the previous year.
The overall number of religion-oriented hate crimes rose by 31 percent, to 7,446 from 5,680, the Hate Crime, England and Wales, 2018-19 report shows. The proportion of anti-Semitic attacks also climbed 12 percent from 2017.
Muslims were the most targeted group in both years: The overall number of anti-Muslim attacks rose to 3,530 from 2,965, though the proportion dropped to 47 percent from 52 percent.
After Muslims, Jews were the most-often targeted group in both years.
The Home Office classifies hate crimes against Muslims and Jews as being based on their religion rather than ethnicity.
Muslims account for about 5 percent of the population in the United Kingdom, according to the Office for National Statistics, while Jews constitute about half a percent.
In both years, the combined number of attacks on Christians, Sikhs and Hindus was smaller than the tally of anti-Semitic attacks.
The report includes other forms of hate crimes, including those based on race and sexual orientation. The total number of all hate crimes recorded in 2018 was 103,379, a 17 percent rise over 2017.
