The Rise of Antisemitism in Italy: A Year of Intense Hatred
The face of Liliana Segre printed on a sign and paraded through the streets of Milan with the inscription “Zionist agent,” as if it were the effigy of a heretic to be burned at the stake or that of an enemy of the people to be defeated, is just the drop that has overflowed the vase of antisemitism in Italy.
The curve of insults and threats against Jews in our country, in fact, “had already begun to rise last year,” reveals Betti Guetta, the head of the Antisemitism Observatory of the Contemporary Jewish Documentation Center (Cdec). “But since October 7th of last year, the world has changed. Since then, and in the last year, we have recorded a staggering surge in cases.”
The Increase in Antisemitism Cases
The date marks a point of no return in the Middle East: a year ago, Hamas terrorists entered Israel from Gaza, surprising the army, killing about 1,200 people, and capturing 251. The videos of the heinous murders, the testimonies of raped and tortured women have shocked the world, leading to the invasion of Gaza by Israel and what could turn out to be the definitive clash between the Jewish state and Iran.
Since that day, everything has changed, even on the front of antisemitism in Italy. “The increase in cases, not to mention the reports, has been impressive,” explains Stefano Gatti, a researcher at Cdec. “We went from an average of 30 cases per month to 90. That’s a 200 percent increase.”
And although Italy has certainly not reached the level of “murderous antisemitism” that is seen in France, England, or Belgium, the situation is nonetheless disturbing.
“Killing Jews is not a Crime”
In the last year, antisemitism in Italy has taken on many forms. There are graffiti, a long litany of threats and insults that fill the walls of Italian cities: “Jews = Shit” and “Jews = SS” (Paestum), “Death to Jews” (Mozambano), “Jews in the ovens” (Perugia), “Get rid of Jews from Italy” (Rome), “Killing Jews is not a crime” (Alice Bel Colle).
There are also cases of vandalism, through which attempts are made to intimidate communities: the entrance gate of the Jewish museum covered in red paint (Cagliari), the stumbling stones in memory of Jews deported to Auschwitz defaced (Florence and Rome), the monument dedicated to those interned by the Nazi-fascists covered in Nazi flags (Pescantina), the olive tree planted in honor of those who saved Jews from deportations destroyed (Tora e Piccilli), the glass showcase containing the Torah smashed with a crowbar (Genoa).
“We are on the Hunt for Jews”
Then there are delusions on the internet and social media from figures like Gabriele Rubini, known as chef Rubio, who constantly publishes statements like: “If there is someone who can’t sleep at night and can select walls where he knows that agents of Zionists live: 3.80 euros for a spray can and start writing.” The president of the Jewish community of Milan, Walker Meghnagi, commented on his words: “We are on the hunt for Jews.”
Lastly, there are increasingly frequent cases of serious threats and physical assaults: the 58 and 86-year-old women who were forced to move to Milan because they were constantly called “dirty Jews” by their neighbors (Rome), Rabbi Ariel Haddad assaulted in the street along with his 11-year-old daughter shouting “dirty Jew” (Trieste), the university lecturer who found a Star of David carved on the office door (Florence), the high school student bullied by classmates (“he wants a Kalashnikov shot in the artery”) and forced to change schools (Como), the restaurant customer insulted by employees with words: “Dirty Jew, I’ll slit your throat” (Rome), the rabbi chased by a man armed with a screwdriver: “Get lost, dirty Zionist shit, or I’ll stab you” (Genoa), the professional who had hung the mezuzah on the door of his institute only to find it replaced with a knife one day (Milan), the Italo-Israeli Jewish student pushed and threatened by schoolmates: “We’ll throw you out the window” (Florence).
Antisemitism is no Longer just Online
The incidents triggering hatred have changed, such as the war in Israel against Gaza with its high number of casualties among Palestinians, but the arguments remain the same: “The accusations directed at Jews are always the same. Every disaster can be attributed to their actions: from the pandemic to the economic crisis.”
The Woke Galaxy Cheers for Hamas
Antisemitism has also spread within movements that claim to fight for human rights, such as the woke, feminist, and LGBT. “The woke ideology sees the Jew or the Zionist, now the same thing, as the epitome of racist and oppressive Western culture,” analyzes one of the researchers at Cdec, Gatti. “We are talking about secular groups, in theory, but they show a Manichaean and theological vision. Everything Western is bad, its opposite is good. This is why radical Islamic language is used at pro-Palestine demonstrations.”
Even feminists have embraced the cause of Hamas, continues Gatti: “The most extremist feminist groups have taken up anti-Zionist positions, refusing, for example, to acknowledge the sexual violence suffered by Israeli women at the hands of terrorists and spreading false news about alleged abuses in Haifa by the Israeli army.”
Even the LGBT movement has slipped into antisemitism: “This year at gay pride events, there were groups like ‘Queer for Palestine’. Perhaps these people do not know that Palestinian homosexuals flee from Hamas and seek refuge in Israel.”
More Security, More Self-Censorship
The increase in antisemitism cases over the past year has had specific consequences in Italy. On the one hand, the State has had to increase security measures in front of schools and synagogues, as evidenced by the Carabinieri patrols that have been added to the usual army presence in front of the Shoah Memorial in Milan.
On the other hand, members of the Jewish community have taken precautions. “Those who used to wear the Star of David no longer do so,” continues Guetta. “The mezuzahs are removed from door frames. No one displays their Judaism anymore: self-censorship is practiced.”
Furthermore, she recounts, the bulletin of the Jewish community that all members receive at home now arrives covered with a blank sheet. “This way, the Jewish identity of the residents can remain hidden. This is a common practice in countries like France, but it has never happened in Italy before.”
Pro-Palestine Groups Yield to Radical Islam
Researchers at the Cdec Antisemitism Observatory also note that over time, pro-Palestine demonstrations have become increasingly violent, with a wide use of slogans from radical Islam. The slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is the most glaring example: “Between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, there would be the state of Israel,” Gatti reminds. “This is a cry that glorifies the destruction of Israel and the death of Jews.”
In many cases, the demonstrators were facilitated “by the uncritical support of local administrations, such as those led by the Democratic Party of Beppe Sala and Matteo Lepore in Milan and Bologna.” In Milan, where Democratic councilor Daniele Nahum announced his departure from Elly Schlein’s party “due to too many ambiguities on foreign policy,” in the aftermath of October 7th, it was a challenge to have the Israeli flag flown at Palazzo Marino. Sala agreed only if it was accompanied by the peace flag.
In Rome, the “Celebration” of October 7th
A few days before the first anniversary of the massacres on October 7th, law enforcement in Italy is on high alert. The Rome Police Headquarters has banned a demonstration announced by Udap and the Palestinian Community of Italy for public order reasons to celebrate the “beginning of the Palestinian revolution.”
Despite the ban, 30,000 people are expected to gather in the capital today. “Many Jews have started saying, ‘We are like in 1938,'” comments Betti Guetta. “The exponential increase in cases of antisemitism makes one think that anything is possible. I don’t know what will happen, but I am certain that we are facing a barbarization of civilization, a neglect of memory that will leave indelible marks.”
