UK police rule swastika sent to Jewish students as non-crime hate incident

The individual also wrote that there was "nothing endangering Jewish students," accusing the UJS of "exploiting them" to push what he called "pro-genocide propaganda." Despite the anti-Semitic nature of the message, Cambridgeshire police determined that the incident did not meet the threshold for a criminal offense.

The incident was classified as a non-crime hate incident (NCHI), a designation under UK law for behaviour that does not meet the legal criteria for a criminal offense but is still considered hate-related. Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism, criticized this decision, pointing out that similar incidents, including one involving offensive online messages in October, were also classified as non-criminal. Hearn argued that a swastika image targeting Jewish students should clearly be considered grossly offensive.

This is not the first time authorities in the UK have faced scrutiny for their handling of anti-Semitic incidents. In April, a protester displaying a swastika at a Pro-Palestinian march in London was arrested, though controversy arose when a Metropolitan Police officer suggested the sign's meaning needed to be considered in context.

The UK has seen an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents in recent months, including offensive signs and messages at protests, prompting concerns over the enforcement of laws protecting Jewish communities from hate speech.