Britain was the world's top country for antisemitic attacks in 2010. It fell to second place last year. But while major antisemitic attacks generally are less common, harassment of Jews, such as shouting abuse in the street, is on the increase.
That's according to an annual antisemitism report by Tel Aviv University.
An investigation by the Jewish Chronicle showed that British MPs who have spoken in support of Israel have had to take security precautions after receiving death threats by post, phone or online. One MP had to be accompanied by police officers during the last election campaign. Another was forced to seek police protection.
A number of MPs were targeted by a Muslim group. Members of the now-banned Muslims Against Crusades stormed the constituency surgery of the Finchley and Golders Green MP, shouting that he was a "Jewish homosexual pig."
Last Thursday an elderly lady in Brighton had to be taken to hospital with shock after discovering her car had had its tyres slashed and been spray-painted with Nazi slogans and anti-Jewish graffiti.
Antisemitism has been around for a long time. It's a shame there's so much of it in Britain.
Which is why in my next blog post I intend to tell the story of a British Muslim - once a radical Islamist, a Jew-hater and an anti-Israel activist - who is now a Zionist and proud of it.
