Wales records rise in anti-Jewish crimes despite small population
Police data shows a 42% increase in incidents in one region, while experts argue the tiny Jewish community faces persistent hostility.
By Andrew Bennett ·
Professor Nathan Abrams, a specialist in Welsh Jewry at Bangor University, says antisemitism in Wales has intensified even as the Jewish population remains tiny. Abrams told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that the lack of a large Jewish presence has not reduced hostility toward Jews in the country.
The 2021 UK Census recorded 2,044 people in Wales as identifying as Jewish by religion. That figure represents approximately 0.07% of the nation's total population of 3.1 million. Most of these residents live in Cardiff, where two synagogues operate. A Chabad synagogue serves Llandudno, and smaller groups exist in other cities.
Police figures for the year ending March 2026 show 6,157 hate crimes across Wales. Of those, 325 were motivated by religion, a decrease from 451 in the previous period. However, national police statistics do not break down religious hate crimes by specific faith, making it difficult to isolate anti-Jewish incidents from the broader data.
The Community Security Trust, which tracks antisemitic incidents separately, recorded 25 incidents in Wales during 2025. Thirteen of these occurred in North Wales, eight in South Wales, two in Dyfed-Powys, and two in Gwent. A Freedom of Information request to Dyfed-Powys Police revealed the force recorded 17 crimes classified as anti-Jewish in 2025. This number is up from 12 in 2024, an increase of roughly 42%.
These police figures cover only the Dyfed-Powys area and do not account for every incident. Abrams notes that on-the-ground experiences may differ from official reporting. The Welsh Local Government Association recently met with Jewish community representatives to discuss the issue. Representatives reported growing anxiety, including verbal abuse and concerns about children in schools.
Abrams, who has lived in Wales for twenty years and speaks Welsh fluently, recently published the book Jews in the Welsh Imagination. He argues that Welsh attitudes toward Jews have persisted for centuries despite the community's small size. He describes the current climate as a microcosm of England, with much of the antisemitism circulating on social media and centered on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The professor points to what he calls ambient antisemitism, such as demonstrations and poster tearing, as factors that create a hostile environment. He notes that in northwest Wales, a region supportive of the left-leaning nationalist party Plaid Cymru, this attitude is particularly strong. Plaid Cymru has long campaigned for Palestinian state recognition and recently called for harsh sanctions against the Israeli government.
Abrams observes that many people in Wales express views on Israel without realizing they are repeating historical tropes. He distinguishes between working-class and middle-class attitudes, noting that middle-class protesters often align with academic perspectives on the conflict. He concludes that Welsh society tends to be polite, meaning antisemitism is often not expressed directly to Jews but remains embedded in public discourse.
