ROME – Jewish lawyer studio vandalized. Mayor Gualtieri: Antisemitism and violence must be rejected

Last week in Rome, the office of lawyer Alessandro Luzon was vandalized. Threatening messages were found alongside an Israeli flag equated to a swastika. The attack sparked a wide debate in Italy. Luzon, the current vice-president of the Jewish Community of Rome, is the former president of the UCEI Commission for Relations with Israel and Alyah. He has been involved in the Jewish community for a long time. Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, strongly condemned the attack on X, writing, “Rome resolutely rejects any form of antisemitism and violence, which will never be tolerated in our city.” The president of the Jewish Community of Rome, Victor Fadlun, expressed solidarity with Mr. Luzon. “For months, we have been warning about the resurgence of antisemitism that has never truly been defeated,” he said. Fadlun also denounced “an increase in alarming incidents also resulting from a campaign of hatred carried out by some influencers and fed by politicians and pro-Palestinian protests.” The Israeli ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, also condemned the attack as “a vile and unacceptable act.” He urged the public not to remain indifferent, stating, “Antisemitism should always be condemned without ambiguity.” Ignazio La Russa, vice president of the Senate, also condemned the attack. “Any act of antisemitism attacks the values of dignity, freedom, and civil coexistence. As such, it should be firmly condemned without justification.”