Anti-Semitism in Italy has reached many levels in recent years, as documented by the CDEC Foundation’s Annual Report on Anti-Semitism in Italy 2023. There were 454 incidents recorded in 2023, almost double the 241 in 2022, marking the highest figure ever recorded by the Foundation. Significant growth was observed after the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the beginning of the Israeli military reaction, which is still ongoing today.
Of the reported cases, 259 involved online incidents such as insults, defamation and threats, while 195 included vandalism, physical aggression and graffiti. The cities most affected were Rome, Milan, Florence and Naples. Popular anti-Semitic narratives included conspiracy theories portraying Jews as manipulators of finance, politics and the media, as well as incidents of Holocaust denial and trivialisation.
According to the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU), one of the problems related to online anti-Semitism is related to low media literacy, which makes it difficult for the population to recognize manipulative or false content. In particular, the lack of awareness of the risks related to disinformation and online hate that favors a citizenry incapable of opposing anti-Semitic narratives or effectively countering them. This problem is aggravated by the absence of systematic educational programs to develop critical and digital skills, both among students and teachers.
To address these issues, FIDU organized the workshop “New Media Literacy Strategies to Counter Antisemitism” bringing together experts, academics, journalists and civil society representatives to discuss solutions to this problem. The initiative was supported by the Coalition to Counter Online Antisemitism (CCOA) and received funding from the Google.org Foundation. The project involves five countries: Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Sweden.
The work highlights the need to introduce programs that promote media literacy starting from schools, helping young people develop critical skills to recognize and counter disinformation and hate speech. Teacher training, focused on stereotypes, prejudices and anti-Semitic narratives, represents a crucial step in this direction. At the same time, the importance of addressing anti-Semitism through proactive and collaborative measures is underlined. Innovative tools, such as artificial intelligence, can anticipate and dampen disinformation before it spreads, while greater cooperation between institutions, civil society and digital platforms is essential to address the complexities of the phenomenon.
On the regulatory front, it is considered crucial to ensure greater enforcement of existing laws and strengthen tools such as the EU Digital Services Act, which hold digital platforms accountable. Monitoring the effectiveness of policies through the input of civil society organisations and promoting greater transparency by platforms are key steps for effective regulation.
Among the partners, the Italian Digital Media Observatory (IDMO), which played a role in identifying and analyzing digital manipulation techniques that fuel anti-Semitism. During the workshop, IDMO presented several data, including the impact of disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, with examples of false narratives such as the sale of Western weapons by Ukraine to Hamas.
IDMO also highlighted how the introduction of new features on social platforms, such as the new account verification policy on X (formerly Twitter), has facilitated the spread of disinformation content. In parallel, the observatory is developing AI-based tools to support quality journalism and reduce cultural bias in information analysis, contributing to greater accuracy of information.
