LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Michael Bookatz , 32 , was walking home one night in January when he noticed a man walking toward him . Michael Bookatz as he looked when first responders arrived after he was attacked . `` Then he just suddenly ran up to me and punched me in the face , '' he said . `` He started stamping on me , kicking me . A friend of his came from the other side of the road and started stamping and kicking on me . And they said : 'This is because of what happened to the Palestinians in Gaza . ' '' The attack on Bookatz -- a Jew who wears a skullcap and lives in a particularly Jewish neighborhood of London -- is one of more than 250 assaults on Jewish targets in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the year , according to the Community Security Trust , a non-governmental organization which monitors anti-Semitism in Britain . The group recorded more than 200 incidents in the month of January alone , the highest monthly total it has seen since it began keeping records in 1984 . London 's Metropolitan Police `` report that since December , there have been four times as many anti-Semitic attacks as attacks on Muslims , even though there are seven or eight times the number of British Muslims as there are Jews , '' said British lawmaker Denis MacShane , who chaired the country 's first parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism . Against this backdrop , London hosted a two-day international conference on combating anti-Semitism Monday and Tuesday . Watch what Bookatz says of the attack on him » . MacShane called it the `` first conference of its type , '' bringing together lawmakers from at least 35 different countries . `` Parliaments now have to acknowledge that anti-Semitism is back . It 's a potent ideological force , causing fears to Jews in many different countries , and it has to be combated by all people that care about democracy , '' MacShane said . It is not only a problem for Jews to tackle , the lawmaker said . `` I 'm not Jewish . Most people at the conference are not Jewish , '' he said . The rise in attacks on Jewish targets comes amid heightened tension in the Middle East , the Community Security Trust noted . The incidents include arson and graffiti attacks on synagogues , verbal and physical abuse of Jews , and hate mail . Similar events were reported across Europe during Israel 's three-week military assault on Hamas in Gaza in December and January , the CST said in a statement . But Bookatz is not convinced Gaza is the real reason for the assaults on Jews . `` Anti-Semitism is around , '' he said . `` It has always been around . Throughout my life , I have experienced anti-Semitic attacks . `` Gaza was probably a focal point , something that triggered it : 'OK , now that Gaza is happening , we can use it as an excuse to attack people , ' '' Bookatz said . MacShane said lawmakers around the world needed to take a stand against anti-Semitism . `` We would like to get the police to take anti-Semitism seriously , to take Internet anti-Semitism seriously , '' he said . `` We need to say to countries that promote anti-Semitism : 'Drop that hate of Jews . ' '' He warned anti-Semitism was an indicator of other problems . `` Whenever anti-Semitism sinks roots , the world is heading in a disastrously wrong direction , '' he said . `` That is a lesson from history . If we do n't tackle anti-Semitism in the early stage , then it devours democracy . '' CNN 's Atika Shubert and Eileen Hsieh contributed to this report .
UK holding international conference to combat anti-Semitism . Watchdog says January saw highest ever number of anti-Semitic attacks in UK . Police : More Jewish attack victims than Muslims despite bigger Muslim population . Lawmaker : Anti-Semitism has to be combated by all ( who ) care about democracy .