In the last 12 months 459 antiSemitic crimes were recorded by police in the capital compared with 406 in the same period the previous year. The disturbing rise is continuing a trend seen over the past few years. The 2015 figure is 13 per cent up on the previous year and 75 per cent higher than the 258 recorded in the 12 months to June 2013. The figures released on Holocaust Memorial Day showed almost half the incidents took place in the boroughs of Barnet and Hackney, home to most of London’s 250,000-strong Jewish population. The crimes include physical assaults, verbal abuse and criminal damage to Jewish property or buildings. Campaigners have blamed the rise on the Met’s failure to prosecute enough cases.
Scotland Yard said the increase was partly due to an increased willingness to come forward in the wake of anti-Semitic outrages in other countries, particularly France. The mass shootings in Paris that marred 2015 and the threat of similar attacks in London and elsewhere have led to the highest number of Jews emigrating to Israel. The Jewish Agency reported that 800 British Jews left the UK for Israel last year. In total 9,880 western European Jews, including 8,000 from France, moved to the country – the highest 
annual number ever. Responding to the rise of hate crime in London, Jonathan Sacerdoti of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said: “2014 saw the worst spike on record of antiSemitic incidents reported. But there was no corresponding spike in prosecutions. The figures for 2015 are even worse.
“It is clear that the police must enforce the law more strenuously to combat this. After the London riots we saw a concerted policy of increased and tighter law enforcement put in
place. “First time offenders ended up in prison to send a clear message about what is acceptable. We now need firm enforcement in this area, too, sending the message that Britain does not give a free pass to anti-Semites.” There were 168 cases of anti-Semitism in 2015 where people were cautioned or charged, including 82 for harassment, 52 for criminal damage and eight for assault with injury. Similar figures for offences against Muslims in the capital showed they increased by 171 per cent following the Paris attacks last November. In the 12 months to December, the number of Islamophobic crimes recorded in London was 1,052 – 68.9 per cent higher than the 623 crimes that were recorded the previous year. But in November alone 163 Islamophobic offences were reported, compared with just 60 a year earlier.
Scotland Yard said it works closely with all faith groups to tackle the problem of racism. Commander Mak Chishty said: “We will not tolerate hate crime and take positive action to investigate all allegations, support victims and arrest offenders. “Victims of hate crime must be assured that they will be taken seriously by the police. “We are always seeking ways to increase reporting and we work with a number of third party reporting sites so that victims who feel unable to approach the police directly can report crime to non-police organisations and individuals. “Victims of crime can in addition now report online on the Met’s website. No one should suffer in silence, so please report hate crime to us as soon as possible so we can take the appropriate action.”
Express.uk