Anti-Semitic attacks in Bury are highest in region

Seventy three anti-Semitic incidents were reported in Bury in 2019 as Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) says attacks have increased by seven per cent across the UK.

The CST added that the frequency of these incidents, of which more than 100 occurred in the UK every month, indicates "a general atmosphere of intolerance and prejudice is maintaining the high incident totals, rather than a one-off specific ‘trigger’ event".

Robert Jenrick MP, the Government's communities secretary, said: “Who could have imagined that 75 years after the end of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism would be on the rise in the UK and across Europe.

"There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society. It is a scourge on us all and the record high number of recorded incidents in 2019 is completely unacceptable."

An unprecedented 1,805 anti-Semitic attacks were recorded last year, with almost two thirds of anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in Greater Manchester and Greater London ­— which are home to the UK's two largest Jewish communities.

However, the CST recorded a fall of 11 per cent in anti-Semitic incidents in the region, from 251 incidents in 2018 to 223 incidents in 2019.

Reports of online anti-Semitism, particularly on social media, was the largest single contributor to the record total of incidents last year, according to the CST, which added that "anti-Semitic incidents in the northern regions are more likely to involve random, spontaneous acts of racism in public".

CST chief executive, David Delew, said: “2019 was another difficult year for British Jews and it is no surprise that recorded anti-Semitic incidents reached yet another high.

"It is clear that both social media and mainstream politics are places where anti-Semitism and racism need to be driven out, if things are to improve in the future.”

Violent anti-Semitic assaults in the UK are also up by up by 25 per cent with Salford beong blacklisted as a hotspot for increasing attacks.

Likewise incidents of damage and desecration to Jewish property rose by 11 per cent.

In one shocking incident Philips Park Jewish Cemetery in Whitefield was targeted by vandals in February last year.

Thugs struck at the ohel, or prayer hall, and two other chapels, smashing the memorial stone of Rabbi Yehuda Zev Segal — a prominent member of Greater Manchester's Jewish community.

At the time members of the borough's Jewish community spoke of their outrage and sadness at the attack, which they said caused "deep distress".

The CST's report comes as Greater Manchester marks Hate Crime Awareness Week which is calling on people to sign up to a promise to come together and show hate crime will not be tolerated in the region.

Detective Sergeant May Preston, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “We continue to work closely with the Community Security Trust (CST) and other Jewish organisations throughout the year to share information, keep the Jewish community safe and encourage reporting of anti-Semitic hate crime.

“We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and continue to encourage victims of anti-Semitic hate crime and those who may have witnessed an anti-Semitic hate crime to report it to us.

"It’s important for us to work with partner organisations to share information so that we can gather the full picture of the issues that people face and work together to ultimately stop these terrible crimes and support victims who are subject to such a crime.

“Hate and intolerance has no place in Greater Manchester and we are committed to tackling it and creating communities that we can all feel safe in."

Hate crime incidents can be reported to police either via the LiveChat function on the GMP website, through 101 or using the True Vision website www.report-it.org.uk.

Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 and call police on 999 in an emergency.