The Kingdom of England expelled all Jews 736 years ago Saturday, in the first formal expulsion of Jews from a European country.
The Edict of Expulsion issued by King Edward I on July 18, 1290, ordered all Jews to permanently leave the country.
“After years of persecution, blood libels and forced taxation, England made it illegal to be Jewish,” Campaign Against Antisemitism, a British non-governmental organization, tweeted Saturday on X. “Entire families were stripped of their homes, belongings, and citizenship simply for their faith.”
Jews were not legally allowed to return to England for over 350 years, when Oliver Cromwell informally permitted their entry and allowed them to practice their faith openly.
About 300,000 Jews live in the U.K. today, including approximately 280,000–285,000 in England.
A renewed burst of global antisemitism fueled by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel is leading many British Jews to consider emigrating.
Only one-third of British Jews believe they have a long-term future in the U.K., a survey released last year found.
