Nathan Abrams: Welsh Antisemitism persists despite small Jewish population
Police data and a new book suggest that hostility toward Jews in Wales remains a persistent issue, driven by nationalist politics and social media.
By Jabari Long ·
Professor Nathan Abrams says the small number of Jews in Wales has not reduced the level of antisemitic hostility in the country.
Abrams, a Bangor University expert who has lived in Wales for 20 years, stated that Welsh fascination with Jews is inversely proportional to their actual numbers. He noted that for 15 centuries, there were no Jews in Wales, yet attitudes have persisted. His recent book, Jews in the Welsh Imagination, traces these attitudes from medieval times to the present.
The 2021 UK Census recorded 2,044 people in Wales identifying as Jewish, a figure representing 0.07% of the population of 3.1 million. Most reside in Cardiff, which hosts both Reform and Orthodox synagogues. A Chabad synagogue serves Llandudno, while other cities have smaller community groups.
Official statistics provide a fragmented picture of the issue. Welsh police recorded 6,157 hate crimes between April 2025 and March 2026, with 325 motivated by religion, though no religious breakdown was provided. The Community Security Trust separately logged 25 antisemitic incidents in Wales during 2025. A Freedom of Information release from Dyfed-Powys Police showed 17 anti-Jewish crimes in 2025, a 42% increase over 2024.
Community representatives told the Welsh Local Government Association that anxiety is growing. They cited routine verbal abuse and concerns for children in schools, noting that some individuals are altering their behavior to avoid identifying as Jewish in public. The South Wales Jewish Representative Council described the community as resilient but shaken by recent rises in hostility.
Abrams attributes much of the tension to the intersection of nationalism and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He observes that antisemitism often manifests through social media and public demonstrations, creating an uncomfortable environment rather than physical harm. He notes that this dynamic is particularly strong in the Welsh-speaking northwest, where support for the Plaid Cymru party aligns with a narrative of Welsh nationalism.
The professor argues that many individuals cross into antisemitism by repeating historical tropes, often without realizing it. He distinguishes between working-class and middle-class attitudes, suggesting the latter are more likely to engage in academic or political expressions of hostility. He concluded that the complexity of Jewish identity in Wales remains reduced to the Middle East conflict.
