A NEED TO PROTEST AGAINST ANTISEMITISEM WHERE EVER IT THRIVES

Standing up to antisemitism

A rally in Rome exemplifies what should be done everywhere: Whoever sees Jew-hatred must call it out, denounce it, and never get used to it. 

 

By Fiamma Nirenstein 

 

JNS

Oct 31, 2025

 

 

Hundreds of people rallied in Rome against antisemitism on Thursday night

 

In Rome’s Piazza Santi Apostoli, several thousand people—intellectuals, journalists, politicians and ordinary citizens—stood together in the pouring rain for hours on Thursday night to defend Israel’s and the Jewish people’s right to life and liberty.

The demonstration, titled “Stop all antisemitism,” was organized by the Sette Ottobre Association, a group formed after Oct. 7, 2023, which has worked tirelessly for two years to counter the tsunami of antisemitism sweeping Italy, Europe and the United States, and the Italian newspaper, Il Riformista. It sent a clear message: Enough is enough!

The “party” of antisemitism is a losing one. Its leaders—from jihadist movements to the radical Left—are cornered in history’s dark corner of hatred for democracy, while Israel, the Jewish state, stands at the forefront of the global battle for freedom.

Now is the time to organize a “party” for those who love Israel. It is a silent majority—many still afraid to show themselves—but Italy has sounded the trumpet. Alongside Sette Ottobre’s excellent demonstration, everyone who cherishes civilization, culture and freedom must act.

The devastating wave of antisemitism has not only targeted Jews; it has wounded the moral and cultural fabric of Italy, Europe and America. Even New York’s mayor, Eric Adams, warned of the antisemitic devastation gripping his city.

Whoever can should take a sign, post a message, stand in front of your city hall, face a politician or intellectual who has signed petitions to ostracize Jews, and peacefully express your dissent. A country that demonstrates against antisemitism is a civilized country.

It is intolerable that Italy continues to silently accept, day after day, the criminalization of Israel and the persecution of Jews across institutions, universities, theaters, hospitals, newspapers and political parties.

Every grotesque lie meant to demonize Israel—such as the blood libel repeated by U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese that “Israeli soldiers shoot children in the head and genitals”—is a reincarnation of medieval hatred.

The rebellion that began in Rome—and the protest by Italy’s ambassador to the United Nations against Albanese’s disgraceful words—must become an act of daily courage. Whoever sees antisemitism must call it out, denounce it, and never get used to it. This is true patriotism. It gives moral and political honor to one’s country.

Saying no to antisemitism means rejecting intellectual decay, mass stupidity and political opportunism that have infected culture, especially on the left. The antisemitism that ties Jews to Israel’s supposed “crimes” reveals an astonishing gullibility to disinformation.

The truth has been erased and replaced by the false narrative that Israel is a “colonial genocidal state,” while the Palestinians are the “legitimate owners.” This reversal of reality echoes Nazi propaganda: the only democratic state in the Middle East is branded “genocidal,” while Islamist regimes continue to marry off ten-year-old girls, execute homosexuals and butcher dissidents in the streets.

If we fight antisemitism, we will not only save the Jews—we will also restore the Nazis to where they belong today: in the world of jihadist terrorism. The Holocaust was fueled by lies such as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Mein Kampf, which described Jews as a disease of the world to be eradicated. Today’s newspapers and talk shows that spread false accusations against Israel lead to the same moral abyss.

Each of us must tell the story of a people who fight to defend themselves while seeking peace. When that truth is told, it becomes clear that Israel’s struggle is the West’s own fight for civilization.

Israel’s battle against Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis is not only Israel’s war—it is all of ours. And with Israel, an independent Jewish state, standing strong, antisemitism has already lost. That, too, should be written on our signs: You have lost, antisemites!