An anonymous online campaign in Milan calling for the surveillance and reporting of Jewish and Israeli tourists, or those suspected of ties to "Zionists," Has drawn condemnation from Israeli officials, Italian Jewish leaders, and politicians.
The campaign, distributed through social media and messaging apps, directed users to a Google document that solicited information about the locations of Jewish and Israeli individuals, including their hotels, vacation rentals, and frequented businesses. The stated purpose was to create "a mapping of Zionist tourism." According to the form, collected data would be sent to the Global Sumud Movement and kept confidential, to be used for unspecified future initiatives.
"This form is intended to record cases of Zionist tourism, property purchases, and, more generally, Zionist neo-colonization in Italy," The document stated.
The Global Sumud Movement, which organizes anti-Israel activities in Europe, denied involvement after the backlash.
Milan Jewish Community President Walker Meghnagi compared the campaign to historical persecution, saying, "I think we're going back to the 1930s, to the hunt for Jews. Mapping where Jews are is extremely serious." He called for judicial intervention and broad political opposition.
Undersecretary of State Alessandro Morelli condemned the form as "abhorrent" And invoked the specter of "Nazi-Fascism." Italian Senator Graziano Delrio likened the initiative to "blacklists" And the "extremely dangerous climate that preceded the racial laws" Of Benito Mussolini's regime between 1938 and 1943.
Israeli Ambassador Jonathan Peled described the mapping initiative as "an abominable action that highlights the alarming growth of antisemitic hatred in Italy."
The European Jewish Congress warned that the questionnaire "effectively encourages the identification and targeting of individuals based on their actual or perceived Jewish identity or nationality," And called on Italian authorities to hold those responsible accountable.