I went to the Community Security Trust site - apparently 2004 was abnormally high - the prior years were around the 300 incident level. If 2005 proves to be around the 500 level, then I'll accept it as being a long term trend.
In any event, you continue to miss the point that it is a problem on both sides of the Atlantic, no matter the severity. The ADL link describes incidents such as the following:
* In Terre Haute, Indiana, a Holocaust museum memorializing children who were victims of Nazi medical experimentation was destroyed by arson (November).
* In Wildwood, New Jersey, a bullet was fired through the front door of a synagogue. No one was injured (July).
* In Arizona, at a Jewish community center outside Phoenix, swastikas and expletives were spray-painted on the walls, driveway and a congregant's car (April).
* In Allentown, Pennsylvania, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a synagogue by three youths (July).
* In Long Island, New York, "Heil Hitler," F--- the Jews" and pornographic images were drawn on property of a Jewish center (August).
Again, get off your high horse. We both have problems.
Ivan
Of course severity matters. It matters tremendously even though reduction should always be the goal on both sides of the Atlantic.
Let me defend the UK properly. In contrast to France which has imposed pathetically light sentences on anti-Semitic perpetrators (lefty judges feeling sorry for underpriviledged Muslim youth) despite huge increases in such crimes, UK just imposed a very strong sentence, six years, on a youth who desecrated Jewish graves. Such a sentence sends an important and welcome message of no tolerance to counter the increase in episodes.