Last Friday, Italy focused on one thing: the country's largest workers' organization declared a general strike protesting the interception of the Gaza flotilla, and stormy demonstrations against Israel took place in dozens of cities across the country. The demonstrators declared that "two million citizens took to the streets in more than one hundred cities," while police estimated their numbers at several tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The demonstrations and strikes paralyzed public transportation in the country, led to flight cancellations, and dominated the public agenda.
How did it happen that, specifically, the country where a distinctly right-wing government stands and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is considered a devoted Israel supporter, placed the Gaza war at the top of the public agenda? Recent polls point to a grim picture of Italian public opinion toward Israel.
A YouGov poll conducted in May found that only 13% of Italians hold a positive opinion of Israel, compared to 70% who have a negative opinion. Only 9% in Italy think the Gaza war is justified – the lowest among all countries surveyed. Another poll conducted among 800 Italians found that 15% of them think physical attacks on Jews are "justified". 18% said antisemitic graffiti is legitimate, and about 20% thought it reasonable to attack pro-Israeli professors or for businesses to reject Israeli customers.
Meloni, who faces criticism for her cautious handling of the Gaza issue, tries to maintain a delicate balance. In her speech at the UN assembly in late September, she said she would support certain sanctions against Israel and accused it of "violating humanitarian norms" that led to "civilian massacre". She called the Gaza flotilla a "dangerous and irresponsible" initiative and accused it of undermining President Trump's initiative, but simultaneously sent an Italian navy ship to escort it.
When the general strike erupted, she stung the organizers : "I expected that at least on such an important issue they wouldn't call a strike on Friday – a long weekend and revolution don't go together".
The great explosion of Italian politics
This cautious stance stems from Italy's complex political map. The country has undergone a prolonged political revolution since the early 1990s. Corruption scandals and the end of the Cold War led to the decline of traditional parties, and new forces emerged in their place. Berlusconi and the Northern League are on the right, while in the left bloc – previously dominated by the Communist and Social Democratic parties – the Democratic Party has taken the lead.
However, even the bipolar system that was created collapsed when anti-establishment populist movements, such as "Five Stars" and "the League," entered the arena. The country went through years of instability – governments replaced each other at a dizzying pace.
Meloni changed this. In the 2022 elections, her "Brothers of Italy" (Fratelli d'Italia) party surged from a fringe party with roots in post-fascist streams to become the dominant force. Meloni became not only the first woman in the role of Italian Prime Minister, but also brought relative stability – her government is one of the longest in modern Italian history. She practically restored a sort of bipolar system – center-right versus center-left.
In this climate – a bipolar system and public opinion that leans against Israel – the war becomes a battering tool of the opposition against Meloni's government.
Writer and journalist Stefano Piazza explains the political division. "In Italy, there are two main blocs. The center-right government led by Meloni supports Israel, with internal debates about proportionality, while the leftist bloc is openly anti-Israeli, with antisemitic overtones".
A central factor, according to him, is the media. "Almost all media outlets are against Israel. For two years, Israel has undergone daily demonization – TV hosts invite anyone willing to attack it, and social networks amplify the voice... It's not surprising that they're almost always the same people who support Putin. You need to follow the money".
The communist roots
Piazza explains the deep roots of the anti-Israeli movement in Italy. "The extreme left, pro-Palestinian movements and part of workers' unions like those in Genoa port, have connections to elements that were part of the Red Brigades," referring to the communist underground that operated in the country in the 1970s and 1980s, whose most famous operation was the murder of Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
"Even in the extreme right, hatred for Israel exists, as in the 'New Force' movement," he adds. "Both extremes fought each other in the past, now they're united in the street – in hatred for Israel and closeness to Putin".
However, the state of relations between the countries cannot be explained solely by extremist and external factors.
Publicist and Jewish author Niram Prati, residing in Milan, identifies two pivotal moments. "The first – Hamas' false starvation campaign that shocked the Italian public. The second – the Gaza flotilla, which became the focus of general strikes". According to him, the infrastructure for this is extensive. "Italy has the strongest workers' unions in the West and deep identification with communism, traditionally hostile to 'colonialist' Israel. Alongside criticism of Israel, there's a broad base of antisemitism that erupts outward and receives legitimacy".
The anti-Israeli climate is already manifesting on the ground, with moves that could carry economic implications for Israel and some simply expose a difficult reality. Last week, Genoa port workers refused to load containers onto a ZIM ship, claiming they contained armaments for the IDF, and the ship was forced to leave without cargo. Meanwhile, the port hosted a pan-European discussion about the possibility of disrupting all maritime transport to Israel.
At the beginning of the week, the city of Reggio Emilia granted its honor decoration to Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur known for extreme anti-Israeli positions and who became the left's star in Italy. When Mayor Marco Massari said that "ending genocide and releasing hostages are conditions for peace," he received jeers from the audience and eye-rolling from Albanese. "I forgive him," she said, "but he must promise not to say that again".
According to Prati, Gaza has become a battering tool. "Israel is a tool for the left's battering of Meloni. They're trying to embarrass her about her restrained policy... Italy is the only country that holds a general strike because of Gaza – people came to the flotilla from 50 countries, and only here do they strike".
Despite the media noise, he estimates the issue doesn't top the Italian voter's priority list. "Only 6-15% actually struck. The average Italian who wants to get to work is angry about the demonstrations. The images of vandalism play in Meloni's favor". Prati is concerned about the government's response. "Meloni doesn't want to escalate, but lack of firm response could increase the risk that something like Manchester happens".
Italy's support for Israel, according to Prati, stems largely from the political interest in maintaining excellent relations with the United States. "Italy has already adopted President Trump's proposal, which the Vatican also adopted. From the moment the Vatican also blessed the ceasefire proposal, Meloni feels more comfortable calling for a ceasefire under the conditions the American plan offers".
But with hostile public opinion and growing pressure from the street, the question is whether Italy will continue to stand beside Israel – at a time when Israel needs it to prevent choking European sanctions.
"I believe it will take time to return to normal relations, but the war must end and Israel must seriously engage in public diplomacy and publishing the truth to dismantle the lies spread by pro-Palestinians, such as starvation and the number of civilian deaths," concludes Stefano Piazza. "It's vital to dismantle pro-Palestinian propaganda so people understand what really happened".
