Italy's Anti-Israel Surge Unleashes Wave of Antisemitism Against Jewish Communities
Italy has witnessed an unprecedented surge in anti-Israel sentiment since October 7, with massive protests against the Jewish state morphing into dangerous antisemitic attacks against Italian Jewish communities. What began as political opposition has devolved into the justification of violence against Jews, exposing the thin line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.
Massive Protests Reveal Deep Anti-Israel Sentiment
On September 22, 2025, Italy experienced one of its largest anti-Israel demonstrations in recent memory. What organizers expected to be a modest gathering of a few thousand exploded into a 50,000-strong rally in Rome alone, with hundreds of thousands more participating across 80 cities nationwide. The scale caught authorities completely off guard.
The momentum continued with Italy's largest union, the 5-million-strong CGIL, organizing an even larger protest on October 3. Opposition parties, including the center-left Partito Democratico and the populist Five Star Movement, threw their full support behind the demonstrations. Organizers claimed over 2 million participants, making it one of Italy's most successful protests in years.
"Today's rally is a huge demonstration for Gaza that shows how Italy is better than those who govern it," declared PD general secretary Elly Schlein, revealing how opposition forces are weaponizing Gaza against the government.
Alarming Poll Numbers Justify Violence Against Jews
Perhaps most disturbing is a September survey by pollster SWG revealing that 15% of Italians consider physical attacks on Jewish people "entirely or fairly justifiable." This shocking statistic demonstrates how anti-Israel rhetoric has translated into acceptance of antisemitic violence.
A separate poll by the Ixè research institute found that nearly 74% of Italians agree with accusations that Israel is committing "genocide" against Palestinians. This includes not just opposition voters but also 64% of supporters of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party and 65% of Lega voters, showing how anti-Israel sentiment has penetrated across political lines.
Additionally, 59% of respondents favored Italy cutting ties with Israel entirely, including significant portions of governing coalition supporters.
Violence and Extremism Mar Protests
These demonstrations have repeatedly descended into violence and vandalism. Last Friday, dozens of activists stormed the newsroom of Italian daily La Stampa in Turin, spraying graffiti reading "Free Palestine" and "Newspapers are complicit with Israel" while causing significant damage.
The incident shocked even some Italians sympathetic to Palestinian causes, including journalist Annalisa Cuzzocrea, who noted that she had previously used the word "genocide" in headlines about Israel without considering the consequences.
UN Rapporteur Fuels Anti-Israel Sentiment
Central to Italy's anti-Israel atmosphere is UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who has become a celebrity figure across Italian media. Despite accusations of antisemitic bias predating October 7, Albanese maintains a near-daily presence on Italian television and has received numerous prizes and honorary citizenships from Italian cities.
When asked about the La Stampa attack, Albanese condemned the violence but also "condemned the journalists," calling the episode "a warning for the press." Her statements drew condemnation from Prime Minister Meloni and forced several cities to reconsider their honorary citizenships.
Italian Jews Under Siege
Italy's 23,000-strong Jewish community, with roots stretching back over 2,000 years, is bearing the brunt of this hostility. The Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea reported 877 antisemitic incidents in 2024, compared to just 241 in 2022, representing a staggering increase.
Most recently, vandals defaced Rome's Bet Michael synagogue with "Free Palestine" graffiti and covered a memorial plaque dedicated to 2-year-old Michael Stefano Gay Tache, killed in a 1982 Palestinian terror attack. The desecration of a child victim's memory represents a new low in Italy's antisemitic surge.
Victor Fadlun, president of Rome's Jewish Community, warned against the dangerous intersection of anti-government protests and antisemitism: "Antisemitism is an abomination that has permeated history, exploiting the lowest sentiments, and it is used as a club to gain power; it's happening here, now."
Historical Echoes of Danger
The current climate eerily mirrors the atmosphere preceding the 1982 synagogue attack that killed young Michael. Then, as now, anti-Jewish sentiment was fueled by Middle East tensions, with CGIL protesters leaving a white coffin on the synagogue's doorsteps before the deadly attack.
Fadlun's warning carries the weight of historical memory: "We Jews of Rome remember well that a union march in 1982 brought a coffin in front of the synagogue. Then there was the attack that killed Stefano."
A Nation's Moral Test
Italy's current crisis represents more than political opposition to Israeli policies. It reveals how quickly legitimate criticism can metastasize into dangerous antisemitism, threatening one of Europe's oldest Jewish communities. As protests continue and hostility mounts, Italy faces a fundamental test of its commitment to protecting Jewish citizens and rejecting the antisemitic hatred that has scarred European history.
The question remains whether Italian leaders will recognize this dangerous trajectory before it claims more victims, or whether history will repeat its darkest chapters on Italian soil once again.