Italy’s New Jewish Community Leader Sounds Alarm on Rising Antisemitism, Targeted Violence

The newly elected president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) has warned that Jews across Italy are facing a deepening climate of hostility, fear, and targeted violence, sounding the alarm over what she described as a growing antisemitic threat.

During her first press conference on Monday as the newly appointed head of UCEI, the main representative body of Italian Jews, Livia Ottolenghi laid out the priorities of her mandate, highlighting efforts to strengthen Jewish communal life and tackle antisemitism that, she warned, “affects the entire society.”

“My commitment will be focused on consolidating the UCEI’s role as a point of reference for Italian Jewish communities and as an authoritative voice on the national and international scene,” she said. “It is essential that we work together to ensure the continuity, cohesion, and future of Italian Judaism.”

“In Italy, Jews don’t live well,” she continued. “Or rather, we live well only thanks to the police. Schools have bars on the windows, students must be escorted whenever they leave, and from kindergarten to university, we face serious challenges even in the simple practice of our Judaism.”

Ottolenghi added, “It’s far from a peaceful situation. Yet we continue to live our religious and civic lives fully, without fear.”

Previously a professor of Dentistry at Sapienza University of Rome, the 63-year-old Jewish leader warned that the alarming rise of antisemitism in Italian society and the surge in attacks “demands everyone’s attention,” urging both authorities and citizens to take immediate action to protect the community.

During the press conference in Rome, Ottolenghi also praised the Italian Senate’s recent approval of a bill aimed at combating antisemitism, calling it a crucial step for the community and emphasizing the need for continued legislative and societal efforts to combat hatred and protect Jewish life.

“It’s an important law, and we welcome its approval, as we believe it addresses a genuine and pressing need,” she said.

The legislation, which adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, also lays the groundwork for a national strategy against antisemitism, according to the European Jewish Congress. The three-year plan will focus on improving the monitoring of antisemitic incidents, strengthening security for Jewish communities, and promoting educational initiatives in schools.

The strategy further calls for training programs for public officials, the military, and law enforcement, and includes measures both to counter antisemitic hate speech online and to promote awareness of Jewish history and culture.

“Antisemitism is not a concern solely for Jews. It is a structural poison in our society, a direct threat to democratic principles and civil coexistence,” Ottolenghi continued. “The Senate’s consensus — though not as broad as hoped — sends a strong and unequivocal signal: combating anti-Jewish hatred is a shared national priority.”

Addressing growing regional tensions in the Middle East and the war against Iran, Ottolenghi described the situation as “worrying and fraught with unpredictable consequences that we all fear.”

Like most countries across the Western world, Italy has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Across the country, Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults. Community leaders have warned that such incidents become more frequent amid tensions related to the war in Gaza.

In November, a pro-Palestinian individual brutally attacked a group of Orthodox Jewish American tourists at Milan’s Central Station, allegedly chasing one of the victims, punching and kicking him, and striking him in the head with a blunt metal ring.

During the attack, the assailant reportedly shouted antisemitic insults and threats, including “dirty Jews” and “you kill children in Palestine, and I’ll kill you.”

In September, a Jewish couple was walking through Venice in traditional Orthodox clothing when three assailants confronted them, shouted “Free Palestine,” and physically attacked them, slapping both.

This incident followed another attack on a Jewish couple in Venice the month before, when a man and his pregnant wife were harassed near the city center by three unknown individuals.

The attackers approached the couple, shouting antisemitic insults and calling the husband a “dirty Jew,” while physically assaulting them by throwing water and spitting on them.

One of the assailants later set his dog on the couple in an attempt to intimidate them before the group stole their phones.

Last month, the Milan-based CDEC Foundation (Center of Contemporary Jewish Documentation) confirmed that antisemitic incidents in Italy almost reached four digits for the first time last year, spiking to record levels.

Of 1,492 reports submitted through official monitoring channels, the CDEC formally classified a record high 963 cases as antisemitic, according to the European Jewish Congress and UCEI.

By comparison, there were 877 recorded incidents in 2024, preceded by 453 such outrages in 2023 and just 241 in 2022.