More antisemitisim in Italy: French Jews attacked by mob

On the afternoon of Sunday, July 27, at the Villoresi Ovest autoroute service station near Milan, a French man and his 6-year-old son were verbally and physically attacked by a group of people, for simply being Jewish.

As revealed in the amateur video filmed by the victim himself, the father and son, upon entering the rest area, were recognized as Jews because they were wearing kippahs, and were insulted by several individuals already inside the location. The video, which went viral on social media, shows a man with a coffee cup in his hand telling the two Jews “This isn’t Gaza, we are in Italy, we are in Milan…Go home”, and then the accusation of being “assassins”. Another woman, with a marked Arab accent, yells “Free Palestine, free Gaza”. (View the full video here).

The situation escalated when, going downstairs to the restroom area, the attackers demanded that the man delete the video he had taken to document the incident from his phone. When he refused, the father was brutally punched and kicked, until he was thrown to the ground, all in front of his young son. The victim immediately filed a complaint with the State Police, who launched an investigation into the incident.

Bruno Gazzo, President of the Italy-Israel Association, immediately issued a statement denouncing the climate of hatred spreading in Italy:

“The Federation, which has long since raised the alarm to the Italian government, police headquarters, prefectures, and prosecutors, calls for the immediate identification of those responsible. It hopes they will be investigated, tried, and convicted for the crimes for which they are responsible. Unfortunately, this is achieved by fueling a shameful climate of hatred against Jews and Israelis.”

A situation that was recently confirmed by Stefano Gatti, researcher at Osservatorio Antisemitismo:

“Since October 7th, anti-Semitic acts and speeches have continued to increase throughout Italy. This anti-Semitism, poorly disguised as anti-fascist, humanitarian, and “democratic” sentiments, has now been legitimized at the highest levels. Parties like the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Italian Social Democratic Party (AVS), as well as large sectors of the Democratic Party (PD), have no qualms about calling on Jews to distance themselves from the “genocide” in Gaza, or risk being held co-responsible for the massacre. These parties have now appropriated the “anti-Zionist” rhetoric of Arab-Islamic propaganda. Even the mainstream media—especially online and on TV—are serving as a mouthpiece for hoaxes, attributing all kinds of horrors to “Zionists.”

And again:

“This antisemitism, which enjoys widespread social acceptance, is strong because the authorities are indifferent or complicit. The mayors of Italy’s major cities either remain silent or, if they do, it’s to support pro-Pal demands.”

On Sunday, July 6, the president of Milan’s Jewish community, Walker Meghnagi, had released a statement to the Italian press agencies regarding the wave of anti-Semitism that has been ongoing in Italy from October 7, 2023 onwards, which is becoming increasingly stronger. Meghnagi highlighted the lack of proper laws to protect Jews in Italy:

“The legislation regarding so-called hate crimes is insufficient; it neither protects nor prevents. We see this every day. Furthermore, we need an awareness campaign against anti-Semitism aimed at prevention…We are deeply concerned about the current situation and would like the legislator to address this emergency urgently. In recent weeks, there has been a steady stream of incidents that put the safety of Jews at risk. Action must be taken as soon as possible.”

To date, the Italian government has not provided an adequate response, which is deeply concerning. The gravity of the situation requires immediate action from the Meloni administration, as any delay could have severe institutional consequences, especially if it results in loss of life.