Bill on anti-Semitism arrived in the Chamber amid tensions in the center-left

The Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Chamber approved the mandate to the rapporteur on the bill but on the final vote the parties were divided, confirming the sensitivity of the issue and the doubts about the contents of the Bill: the majority voted in favour, M5S, Avs and Futuro Nazionale against, Italia Viva in favor (like the majority), +Europa abstained and the Democratic Party did not participate in the vote, leaving further room for maneuver open.

One form of mediation, which however seems to have already passed, would be to approve an agenda to offer greater guarantees to those who fear a crackdown on criticism of Israel. We could envisage, explains Nazario Pagano (FI), "an agenda that clarifies this aspect to remove any doubt and to also accommodate those who - incomprehensibly - have it".

The text therefore continues its march, but will not arrive in the Chamber very quickly given that the debate on the electoral law will have priority. It is assumed that the vote could be concluded by mid-October. But the dates are currently fluctuating and in Montecitorio there are also those who launch a symbolic date such as October 7, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel. However, this is an unrealistic hypothesis, say majority parliamentarians, for calendar reasons.

The text, which has already received the green light from the Senate, should therefore be voted on by the Montecitorio chamber to become law. The DDL divides its contents so much so that in recent days Liliana Segre's appeal to make changes in order to obtain unanimous approval has taken center stage.

The central issue remains the definition of anti-Semitism in the bill borrowed from IHRA (the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance). For the opposition there is the risk of not distinguishing between anti-Semitic prejudice and the free expression of thought on an administration. In essence, even legitimate political criticism or street demonstrations against the Israeli government could end up sanctioned by the provisions of the Bill.

While the Democratic Party is grappling with a shaky identity of views with the reformists who are pushing for adherence to the law, a solid no comes out from the Avs and M5s who would not accept even small changes.

"There is still time", recalls a Big Dem, making it clear that contacts are still ongoing and the Democratic Party could present amendments in the Chamber. Some divisions in the Italian Jewish world that go beyond Senator Segre's concerns also weigh on the debate. Several Jewish intellectuals have signed a document against the text under discussion which "smuggles the delegitimization and criminalization of every more or less radically anti-Israeli public position into the fight against anti-Semitism".

Once the law is passed, explained for example Anna Foa, one of the signatories, "the only battle that remains is to challenge it at the Constitutional Court". The invitation from the UCEI is of a completely different nature and, in appreciating Segre's intervention, points out that the bill is already "the fruit of expert work aimed at combating anti-Semitism and does not introduce any ban on criticism of the State of Israel or its governments".