Italy: A stage for weekly antisemitic hate parades

Once again, Italy has offered itself as a willing stage for the dark theater of antisemitism. Just as Europe commemorates Kristallnacht — the violent pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany on the night of November 9-10, 1938, when Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes were attacked, and thousands of Jews were arrested or killed — new chapters are written in which familiar strains of prejudice echo down cobbled streets and across crowded piazzas. The scene last Saturday in Milan was one of unvarnished hostility. The so-called pro-Palestinian “march” became yet another thinly disguised outpouring of antisemitic rhetoric and glorification of violence. The gathering in Piazzale Cadorna, swelling with protestors waving Palestinian flags and chanting, could easily have been mistaken for the fervor of a rally against a longtime enemy. But here, the only target was Israel — and the only intent, to cast a shadow over the Jewish people’s right to security and peace.

The rally on November 9 saw crowds filling Milan’s historic piazzas with an unrelenting chorus of “Israele criminale, Palestina immortale,” which translates as “Israel Criminal, Palestine Immortal.” Flags waved overhead, but so did images and symbols that carried the taint of terror. At the fore were photographs of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader killed last month, held aloft as a martyr. Some placards even bore messages in Arabic celebrating his “bastone,” which traslates as “baton,” a reference to Sinwar’s legacy as a militant symbol. The atmosphere of incitement was unmistakable, yet as the crowd marched from Piazzale Cadorna to Porta Genova, it was their message that rang clear — that aggression against Israel, and by twisted implication, against Jewish communities, was not only justified but to be lauded.

Within this disturbing spectacle, speakers singled out the “youth of Amsterdam,” applauding the “lesson” given to the Jews in the Dutch capital. The reference was a direct nod to the unrest occurred on Thursday, November 7.  Following Maccabi Haifa’s Europa League football match against Ajax in Amsterdam, the city became the setting for disturbing, premeditated aggression against Jewish fans. Reports describe pro-Palestinian demonstrators organizing violent pursuits, chanting vitriolic slurs, and targeting Maccabi supporters in what can only be called manhunts. These weren’t isolated confrontations; they were coordinated actions intent on intimidating, and even harming, Jews openly celebrating their team. The scenes of terrified fans being chased through the streets reveal an alarming escalation in antisemitic hostility, where Amsterdam’s streets momentarily transformed into hostile grounds for Jewish visitors.

The Amsterdam events were not the isolated scuffle of two opposing sides; they were an emboldened act of violence celebrated by crowds who view intimidation as a form of justice. But in today’s climate, it is rarely the perpetrator who stands accused. Instead, blame and scorn are swiftly redirected at supporters of Israel or simply, those who dare to stand apart from the crowd. The unsettling rise in this tactic of turning the tables is now a mainstay of pro-Palestinian marches, where violent clashes and hate speech are recast as self-defense or liberation.

Recent events in Italy paint a grim picture of a country struggling with a new wave of antisemitism. Though the Italian government has formally condemned antisemitism and recently enacted policies to address it, such sentiments are evidently gaining ground unchecked. Across Italy, Shabbat — a day of rest and peace — is routinely turned into a target for protests that threaten Jewish communities. Cities like Rome, Milan, and Naples have seen their streets transformed into battlegrounds where antisemitism is thinly masked as activism, blurring the lines between protest and hate.

The recurring desecration of Shabbat is particularly offensive; the frequency and fervor of these rallies point to a concerted effort to defile this sacred day. What’s more, Italy’s leniency in permitting these gatherings — ostensibly to preserve free speech — has emboldened protestors, creating an environment where antisemitic sentiments are not only aired but cheered. The chants and placards, filled with hate, not only desecrate Jewish customs but also the Italian cities that have historically stood as bastions of cultural exchange and unity.

The record speaks volumes: in recent years, antisemitic incidents in Italy have risen sharply. Online hate speech against Jews, antisemitic vandalism, and physical altercations have surged. Synagogues, Jewish schools, and even Holocaust memorials have become frequent targets. Yet, these incidents are often brushed aside as fringe or isolated, swept under the rug by authorities reluctant to tarnish Italy’s image. In failing to confront this rising tide of hatred, Italy’s leaders are sending an unmistakable signal — that some expressions of bigotry are tolerated, even as the rhetoric of “tolerance” is used as a shield to justify such acts.

The ease with which the tables are turned to cast Jewish communities as the instigators only underscores the insidious double standards that pervade these events. While attacks on Maccabi fans in European cities are ignored, acts of violent retaliation by pro-Palestinian supporters are celebrated as brave acts of resistance. Italy, with its own rich tapestry of Jewish history and contributions to European culture, is no stranger to the currents of antisemitism. Yet, to witness this hate not just creeping back but openly paraded, flanked by police and seemingly condoned, is a disheartening betrayal.

These rallies are nothing more than a performance of antisemitism thinly disguised as solidarity. And each week, Italy’s streets serve as the stage for a theater of hate, played out with increasing impunity. The disgrace doesn’t only rest on the protestors but on a society that allows such behavior to go unchecked, hidden behind slogans of free expression and political discourse.

For a nation once a proud crossroads of cultures, Italy has tragically reduced itself to the crossroads of contempt, where antisemitism finds a welcome audience.