Authorities in Bologna have officially banned an anti-Israel rally organized to mark the two-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre, citing escalating unrest across Italy. The protest, planned by *Giovani Palestinesi Italia*, was intended to commemorate the deadly attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead. Bologna prefect Enrico Ricci announced that the demonstration would be “absolutely prohibited” due to security concerns after violent pro-Palestinian riots erupted in Rome over the weekend. Despite the ban, organizers vowed on social media to defy the order and hold the rally anyway. Israel’s ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, denounced the event as an attempt to “glorify the October 7 massacre” and worked with Italian authorities to ensure its cancellation. Meanwhile, demonstrations have surged nationwide after Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying minimal humanitarian aid, prompting days of anti-Israel marches in major cities.

In contrast, Milan’s Jewish community held a quiet memorial service under police protection to honor the victims of Hamas’s attack. The decision for discretion reflects the tense atmosphere in Italy, where antisemitic incidents have sharply increased since the war in Gaza began. Over the weekend, a kosher bakery in Rome’s Jewish district was defaced with slurs reading, “Dirty Jews, may you all burn,” while Jewish tourists in Venice were harassed with “Free Palestine” chants. Italian Jewish leaders warn that hatred of Israel has once again become an excuse for open antisemitism in Europe — a troubling reminder that the same spirit that fueled October 7 still thrives far beyond the Middle East.

SOURCE: Israel National News