The Italian Senate has approved the base text of a bill which will – if passed – allow authorities to ban antisemitic rallies, and codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism into Italian law. The enactment of such a law would make Italy among the first countries to criminalize antisemitic hate speech according to the IHRA definition.
The legislation is considered by many in Italy to be the most divisive bill regarding antisemitism, not least because the IHRA definition is contested by many, but also because banning demonstrations would be possible when there is an “assessment of a serious potential risk related to the use of symbols, slogans, messages, and any other antisemitic act.” Some have argued that this is undemocratic and could blur the line between fighting antisemitism and limiting criticism of the Israeli government.
The base text was approved by the Senate committee on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The bill was brought by the right-wing Lega parliamentary leader, Massimiliano Romeo. Partito Democratico, Movimento 5 Stelle, and Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra voted against it.
Roman salutes, Celtic crosses, and swastikas
“The Romeo bill is deeply wrong; it risks placing the legitimate fight against antisemitism on the same level as criticism of the Israeli government,” explained Peppe De Cristofaro of AVS. “We decided not to present our own bill because we believe the current legislation is adequate: there is the Mancino Law, it just needs to be enforced, for example, by punishing all apologies for fascism, Roman salutes, Celtic crosses, and swastikas. If the majority really wants to fight antisemitism, it should start by dissolving fascist organizations.”
The Mancino Law is existing legislation that makes racist, antisemitic, and fascist hate illegal, and some supporters advocate for applying it more rigorously, rather than replacing it.
“They chose the worst possible text,” Alessandra Maiorino of M5S said. “It could have been done better if there had truly been a desire to seek unity, especially on a day like today. That was not the intention. This text also comes from a political force, the Lega, which this week is hosting neo-Nazis in the Chamber of Deputies. It’s hard not to see an ideological use of an issue that should unite rather than divide.”
Despite opposition, many members of the Jewish community and several politicians are optimistic that it will pass.
“We will soon arrive at an agreement,” Liliana Segre – the Italian Holocaust survivor and senator for life – told the Senate. “Antisemitism should not be a field for partisan speculation. It concerns the quality of our democracy.”