“A dangerous time” lived experiences of antisemitism in the UK since October 7th

This article reports the results of an exploratory, interview-based study with Jewish professionals in the UK about their experiences of antisemitism since the Hamas attacks of October 7 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza and Israel. The findings show that the dominant form of discrimination since October 7 has been political and populist antizionist antisemitism, circulating in the media, in formal statements by organisations and individuals, and in popular culture. Participants experienced it in work, public space, and interpersonal interactions. Combatting antisemitism was almost impossible because of the context of the war, a general lack of knowledge about the region’s history, and the antisemitic construction of Jews as mendacious and manipulative, all of which constructed them as lacking ‘believability’. As a result many felt silenced, and they limited their interactions and discussions about the war and antisemitism to ‘safe’ spaces, often within the Jewish community. Further research is needed to understand the extent and nature of these contemporary forms of antisemitism in more detail.