UK government urges tougher action to protect Jewish students after deadly synagogue attack

The British government on Saturday called on universities to take stronger action to protect Jewish students following a deadly attack on a synagogue in northern England and amid rising concerns about antisemitism on campuses in both the UK and the United States.

Education Minister Bridget Phillipson said universities must do more to confront hate and misinformation, stressing that institutions bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring safe, inclusive environments.

“One instance of antisemitic abuse is one too many,” Phillipson said. “The buck stops with universities when it comes to ridding their campuses of hate — and they have my full backing to use their powers to do so.”

The appeal comes after a British man of Syrian descent drove into pedestrians and stabbed several people outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, killing two men.

In the wake of the attack, Phillipson wrote to university vice-chancellors urging “practical and proportionate steps” to keep campuses safe. Under new regulations introduced in August, universities must now maintain clear policies and reporting systems to handle harassment and hate incidents.

Britain recorded its second-worst year for antisemitic incidents in 2023, with over 3,500 cases reported, according to the Community Security Trust, which monitors threats against Jewish institutions. Recent government data also shows Jews experienced the highest rate of religious hate crimes in England and Wales in the year to March.

Concerns have likewise grown in the U.S., where antisemitic incidents have surged on college campuses amid tensions over the Israel-Gaza war. The Trump administration has threatened to withdraw federal funding from universities it accuses of tolerating antisemitic behavior during pro-Palestinian protests.