Observatory on antisemitism: An angrier country and more fragile

The first section of the survey conducted by the CDEC Foundation describes Italy’s social and economic context. What emerges from this part of the survey is that the country feels more fragile, poorer and angrier. The data on school dropout show that young people are particularly vulnerable. Almost one in seven minors does not finish school. Many do not achieve basic skills at the end of their schooling.
“Economic and educational poverty feed off each other and are passed on from generation to generation,” the sociologist points out. The social fabric is further affected by misinformation and disorientation in the face of the constant flow of news. “This fragility and ignorance also fuels antisemitism”, added Guetta.
There is however some positive data, as reported by Murilo Cambruzzi. As of August, 25, 2023, large online platforms must comply with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and are therefore obliged to remove antisemitic content.
These are just small steps, remarked Cambruzzi, that run up against the concern expressed “by Italian and Israeli Jews regarding their safety. Some Israelis reported avoiding speaking Hebrew or not attending university.” In the face of all this, Cambruzzi concludes, institutions “have moved with great coordination. From UCEI to the Observatory for Security Against Discriminatory Acts and the government, steps have been made to protect people’s safety and to report violence or attacks.”
The monitoring of incidents has been implemented and is an important tool, as CDEC President Giorgio Sacerdoti pointed out. Yet one question remains open, which emerged forcefully during the presentation of the reports: what to do differently than in the past to counter antisemitism.

Translated and revised by Claudia Editori and Alida Caccia, students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, trainees in the newsroom of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.