UN expert Albanese, protesters oppose Italy anti-Semitism bill
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Hundreds protested outside Italy's parliament on Wednesday against a bill that would adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese warned the legislation risks restricting freedom of expression. The Chamber of Deputies' Constitutional Affairs Committee is examining the bill approved by the Senate on March 4.
Key Facts
- The Italian Senate approved the anti-Semitism bill on March 4 by a large majority.
- The bill would adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism into national law.
- Amnesty International Italy's Anneliese Baldaccini said the bill would apply across schools, universities, social platforms and cultural associations.
- UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said legislation equating criticism of a state with anti-Semitism risks restricting freedom of expression.
The Protest
Hundreds gathered in front of Montecitorio Square in Rome on Wednesday afternoon to oppose Italy's so-called anti-Semitism bill. The demonstration was organised to coincide with a meeting of the Chamber of Deputies' Constitutional Affairs Committee, which is examining legislation approved by the Senate on March 4 by a large majority. Amnesty International distributed black-and-yellow signs reading 'Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism'. Daniel Calo of Tikkun, a group of Italian Jewish antiracism activists, said: 'We are tired of seeing anti-Semitism instrumentalised to promote censorship of any kind of criticism of the State of Israel and its criminal policies.'
The IHRA Definition
At the centre of the controversy is the possible adoption into national law of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. Critics argue the IHRA definition conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel. According to the IHRA, 'denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, eg, by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor', is anti-Semitic, as is 'drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis'. Activists are instead calling for the adoption of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, a non-binding set of guidelines developed in response to the IHRA definition.
UN Expert Warning
Francesca Albanese, the Italian legal scholar and UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, said legislation equating criticism of a state with anti-Semitism risked restricting freedom of expression. Albanese said: 'Any piece of legislation that directly or indirectly equates criticism of a state with anti-Semitism is problematic and risks creating more problems than it seeks to solve.' She argued that the bill could limit the ability to analyse, document and criticise the 'apartheid state of Israel', and accused Italy of prioritising the protection of Israel over accountability. Albanese added: 'The need to protect the State of Israel from criticism is stronger than the need to do justice. It is extremely dangerous because every Jewish person in the world risks being seen as a kind of emissary of Israel.'
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