Key facts
- Italy's Democratic Party (PD) boycotted a parliamentary committee vote on a bill against antisemitism.
- The bill incorporates the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
- Critics argue the definition could restrict freedom of expression and conflate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.
- The PD has called for changes to the bill's formulation.
- The Five Star Movement and Green Left Alliance (AVS) voted against the proposal.
- Italy's Antisemitism Observatory recorded 963 antisemitic incidents in 2025, more than double the number in 2022.
Italy's main opposition party, the Democratic Party (PD), abstained from a parliamentary committee vote on a bill aimed at combating antisemitism, citing concerns that its definition of the term could stifle legitimate criticism of Israel. The move underscores divisions within the Italian left over the Gaza conflict and the proposed legislation.
The bill seeks to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism, which includes examples that critics argue could be used to censor activism for Palestinian rights and equate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.
The PD's decision to boycott the vote highlights a broader divergence on the Italian left regarding the war in Gaza. While the PD has condemned the violence, its stance is more cautious than that of allies like the Five Star Movement and the Green Left Alliance (AVS), who have accused Israel of genocide, a charge Israel denies.
Earlier this year, most PD lawmakers abstained on the bill when it passed the Senate, though a small faction voted in favor, revealing internal party rifts. PD leader Chiara Braga had previously appealed to the ruling coalition to amend the bill's definition, stating that criticism of the Israeli government should not be equated with antisemitism. However, Emanuele Fiano, a PD member and son of an Auschwitz survivor who supports the bill, criticized the party's decision, emphasizing that the fight against antisemitism should not be used to obstruct criticism of the Israeli government or settlers' violence.
The AVS and Five Star Movement voted against the bill, with AVS co-leader Nicola Fratoianni calling it "fundamentally flawed" despite acknowledging the desirability of a unanimous vote on antisemitism.
Supporters of the bill argue that enhanced safeguards are necessary due to a rise in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. Italy's Antisemitism Observatory reported 963 cases in 2025, more than double the 2022 figure.