Why Should Israeli Culture Be Taught in Italy? — Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, on Friday expressed hope that the Italian public would oppose a controversial anti-Semitism bill currently under consideration in the country’s Parliament.

Known as DDL 1004, the bill was introduced by the far-right League, a junior partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government. It would formally incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism into Italian law. After being approved by the Senate on March 4, the bill is scheduled for 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 through a non-binding resolution.

Albanese wrote on X: “Why, after all, should Israeli culture be taught in Italy?” She described the legislation as part of the “Israelisation of society” that she said is advocated by elites within the government and parts of the opposition. She added: “I hope the Italian people will oppose this openly shameful move. History is us.” The bill’s central provision adopts the IHRA’s 2016 definition of anti-Semitism along with its illustrative examples. These include describing Israel’s existence as fundamentally racist, applying double standards to Israel compared with other democratic countries, and comparing Israeli policies to Nazi practices.

The legislation also includes training programs for teachers and students, as well as measures to address hate speech online. A more controversial provision that would have formally allowed university authorities to identify programs deemed to violate the IHRA definition was removed from the Senate version following criticism from various political parties, including Meloni’s own Brothers of Italy party.

The bill was formally introduced by League Senate leader Massimiliano Romeo, but incorporates proposals from several parties, including Forza Italia’s Maurizio Gasparri and Italia Viva’s Ivan Scalfarotto. The vote has divided the opposition Democratic Party (Partito Democratico). Six of its senators voted in favor of the bill in the Senate against the party line, while the party now appears inclined to oppose it in the Chamber of Deputies. On Thursday, hundreds of people rallied against the bill in Milan, carrying placards that read, “Criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitism,” while chanting, “Free Palestine.”