Albanese Slams Italy’s Antisemitism Bill: “Why Should Israeli Culture Be Taught in Italy?”

LONDON: UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese has sharply criticised a controversial antisemitism bill before Italy’s parliament, saying she hopes the Italian people will oppose it.
In a post on X on Friday, Albanese asked: “Why should Israeli culture be taught in Italy?” She described the legislation as part of the “Israelisation” of society, which she said is championed by the governing elite and part of the opposition. “I hope the Italian people will oppose this blatant disgrace. History is us,” she wrote.
The bill, known as DDL 1004, was introduced by the far-right League, the junior partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government. It would formally write the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into Italian law. After passing the Senate on March 4, it faces a final vote in the Chamber of Deputies on October 2. If approved, Italy would become the first country to incorporate the IHRA definition directly into binding national legislation, rather than adopting it through a non-binding resolution.
The bill’s central provision adopts the IHRA’s 2016 definition along with its illustrative examples, which include describing Israel’s existence as inherently racist, applying double standards to Israel not demanded of other democracies, and comparing Israeli policy to Nazi conduct. It also covers training programmes for teachers and students, as well as measures against online hate speech. A more contentious provision, which would have allowed university authorities to formally flag programmes seen as violating the IHRA definition, was removed from the Senate text after criticism from several parties, including Meloni’s own Brothers of Italy.
Formally introduced by League Senate leader Massimiliano Romeo, the bill incorporates input from multiple parties, including Forza Italia’s Maurizio Gasparri and Italia Viva’s Ivan Scalfarotto. The vote has split the opposition Democratic Party: six of its senators broke ranks to back the bill in the Senate, while the party is now leaning towards opposing it in the Chamber.
On Thursday, hundreds of people rallied in Milan against the bill, carrying placards reading “Criticising Israel is not antisemitism” and chanting “Free Palestine.”