May 28, 2025
Antisemitic rhetoric in Europe reached a disturbing new level this week after an anonymous Italian street artist painted a controversial mural in Rome depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kissing Adolf Hitler. The mural, located near a high school, was signed by the street artist known as Laika and titled The Final Solution—a chilling reference to the Nazi plan for the Holocaust. Italian media, including La Repubblica, reported that the artist intended the image as a condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, drawing outrage for its inflammatory comparison and use of Holocaust terminology.
In public statements and social media posts, Laika accused Israel of committing “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide,” citing unverified statistics and accusing the Israeli Air Force of intentionally targeting civilians. She also lashed out at European governments, particularly Italy and Germany, for supporting Israel, accusing them of once again “choosing the wrong side of history.” The mural and accompanying rhetoric have sparked concerns among Jewish communities and observers who see this as part of a growing trend of Holocaust inversion and dangerous antisemitic imagery spreading across Europe under the guise of political protest.