POLICE in the West Midlands recorded a rise in antisemitic hate crimes in the weeks following the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict last year, new figures show.

Figures obtained by the PA news agency from Freedom of Information requests sent to all forces in the UK show 22 antisemitic hate crimes were recorded by West Midlands Police between October 7 and November 7.

This was up from one in the same time period the year before.

Meanwhile, 25 Islamophobic hate crimes were recorded by police in the West Midlands in the month following Hamas' attack – down from 33 the year before.

The Community Security Trust said the figures made clear "the extent of the unacceptable rise in anti-Jewish hatred across the country since the Hamas terror attack on October 7".

A spokesman for the Jewish charity said: "This wave of antisemitism was triggered by the mass murder, rape and kidnapping of Jews in Israel, and is fuelled and sustained by extremist hatred online and on our streets.

"It is essential that perpetrators are identified and prosecuted, and that wider society shows its disgust for this racist hate crime."

Tell Mama, which monitors and works to tackle anti-Muslim sentiment and abuse in the UK, said "levels of anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination are deeply worrying, impacting trust in authorities and their sense of identity and belonging".

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: "There is no place for hate in our society and we condemn the recent rise in reported antisemitic and anti-Muslim hatred.

"We expect the police to fully investigate all hate crimes and work with the CPS to make sure the cowards who commit these abhorrent offences feel the full force of the law.

"Following recent events, we have also made further funding available to Jewish and Muslim communities, to provide additional security at places of worship and faith schools."