'Lack of Jews hasn't meant lack of antisemitism,' Expert on Jews in Wales tells 'Post' - interview

Bangor University Professor Nathan Abrams, an expert on Welsh Jewry, told the Jerusalem Post that the absence of Jews in Wales has not meant an absence of antisemitism. His new book explores Welsh attitudes over centuries. The 2021 UK Census recorded 2,044 Jews in Wales (0.07% of the population). The Community Security Trust recorded 25 antisemitic incidents in Wales in 2025, while Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 17 anti-Jewish crimes in 2025, up 42% from 2024.

Bangor University Professor Nathan Abrams, an expert on Welsh Jewry, told the Jerusalem Post that the absence of Jews in Wales has not meant an absence of antisemitism. Abrams, who recently published the book 'Jews in the Welsh Imagination: Medieval Times to the Present,' said the Welsh fascination with Jews is inversely proportional to their numbers. The 2021 UK Census recorded 2,044 Jews in Wales, about 0.07% of the population. The Community Security Trust recorded 25 antisemitic incidents in Wales in 2025, while Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 17 anti-Jewish crimes in 2025, up 42% from 2024. Abrams described 'ambient antisemitism' creating a hostile environment, and noted that antisemitism in Wales often coalesces around the Israel-Palestine conflict, linked to Welsh nationalist self-perception as colonized people. The article notes that the Welsh Local Government Association recently met with Jewish community representatives to discuss tackling antisemitism.