Italian online form to 'map Zionist tourism' draws comparison to fascist-era persecution of Jews

An anonymous online form urging Italians to report the presence of Jewish and Israeli tourists has sparked outrage in Italy, with Jewish leaders comparing it to the persecution of Jews during the Fascist era and warning it reflects a growing climate of antisemitism.

The form, which began circulating online in Milan, claimed its purpose was to "map Zionist tourism" in Italy. A message accompanying it asked recipients to report the arrival of Jewish or Israeli tourists at hotels, car rental agencies and other vacation-related businesses.

It also included a section for reporting property purchases by Jewish or Israeli buyers, claiming the effort was intended to push back against "Zionist neo-colonization" of Italy.

The incident has intensified concerns among Italy's Jewish community over what they describe as increasingly normalized antisemitism and hostility toward Israel in public discourse, even as Italian authorities moved quickly to remove the form from circulation.

Gen. Pasquale Angelosanto, Italy's commissioner for combating antisemitism, ordered the form scrubbed from the internet. However, it had already been downloaded hundreds of times and could easily be replicated and redistributed. Authorities also warned of possible copycat efforts in other Italian cities and beyond.

Victor Fadlun, president of Rome's Jewish community, thanked authorities for their swift response but warned the form should be condemned by every decent person as an attack on civilization itself, saying it represented "a real manhunt, in which people are identified and exposed through every stereotype solely because of their Jewish religion or their alleged connection to the State of Israel."

Walker Meghnagi, president of Milan's Jewish community, told the Italian news agency ANSA that the form was evocative of the Fascist period in Italian history during the 1930s, when the "hunting of Jews" became normalized and contributed to the Holocaust.

Livia Ottolenghi, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, agreed, adding that the form was a symptom of the rapidly rising tide of normalized anti-Semitism in Italy's public discourse and amounted to a "new yellow badge."

She also drew attention to the language in the form, which referred to alleged "Zionist settlements on Italian soil." She said the rhetoric fueled absurd conspiracy theories similar to those that were widespread during Italy's Fascist period and ultimately helped justify racial laws based on anti-Jewish stereotypes.

Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa also condemned what he described as a "map of Jews in Zionist tourism," saying, "We must not remain indifferent to such serious incidents, which awaken the demons of the past."

While the form was condemned by other leading Italian politicians, many cultural and civil society leaders remained silent.

The incident comes as Israeli businesses are also reporting growing difficulties in working with European companies, particularly in Italy.

Manufacturers in Israel say they are increasingly unable to secure technicians from European countries—especially Italy—to travel to Israel to install and maintain complex machinery purchased from European companies. The equipment is essential for manufacturing, packaging and distribution, and purchase contracts typically include provisions requiring companies to provide technical support.

According to reports, however, some European companies have delayed fulfilling those contractual obligations. There have also been reports that labor unions in Italy have quietly instructed workers not to travel to Israel even when requested by their employers.

As a result, some Israeli companies have sought workarounds, while others have begun relocating production abroad. Still others, unable to maintain operations, have been forced out of business.