Welsh Hate Crime: 17 Anti-Jewish Incidents Recorded in Dyfed-Powys

Jews in Wales reported 17 crimes classified as anti-Jewish to Dyfed-Powys Police in 2025. This figure represents an increase of about 42% from the 12 incidents recorded in 2024. The data comes from a Freedom of Information disclosure and covers the Dyfed-Powys policing area, which is not the entire nation.

National statistics from Welsh policing show 6,157 hate crimes across Wales between April 2025 and March 2026. Of these, 325 were motivated by religion. The figures do not break down which religion was targeted, making it impossible to determine the total number of anti-Jewish crimes from police records alone. The Community Security Trust separately recorded 25 antisemitic incidents associated with Wales in 2025, including 13 in North Wales and 8 in South Wales.

The 2021 UK Census identified 2,044 people in Wales as Jewish by religion. This group makes up approximately 0.07% of the population of 3.1 million. Most reside in Cardiff, which has a Reform synagogue and an Orthodox synagogue. A Chabad synagogue serves Llandudno, while smaller community groups exist in other cities.

Professor Nathan Abrams of Bangor University has lived in Wales for twenty years and recently published a book on the history of Welsh Jewry. He stated that the absence of Jews in the region has not meant the absence of prejudice. Abrams noted that antisemitism often surfaces on social media and coalesces around the Israel-Palestine conflict. He described the hostility as 'ambient,' creating an environment where Jews feel uncomfortable being themselves.

Abrams linked local attitudes to the political identity of Welsh nationalism. He observed that the left-leaning Plaid Cymru party, which is critical of Israel, resonates with a narrative that compares the Welsh to the Palestinians of the British Empire. This perspective leads to an 'obsession with Israel' that often manifests as antisemitism, even among those who do not consider themselves prejudiced.

The Welsh Local Government Association recently met with Jewish community representatives to discuss the issue. Representatives described growing anxiety, routine verbal abuse, and concerns for children in schools. The South Wales Jewish Representative Council said the community is resilient but shaken by the recent rise in incidents.

Abrams noted that antisemitism in Wales is often expressed by older, white, middle-class individuals who he described as 'well-meaning but cross the line.' He said the hostility is frequently invisible to Jews because Welsh society is polite, leading to behavior that is not openly vulgar but remains exclusionary.