The Jewish Question and Left-Wing Anti-Semitism

On Wednesday, March 18, an important meeting was held on the Zoom platform, organized by Anavim, featuring the Honorable Piero Fassino, Senator Graziano Delrio, and Dr. Manuel Disegni on a burning and timely topic: “The Jewish Question and Left-Wing Antisemitism.”
The discussion opened with a presentation by Manuel Disegni, author of the essay “Critique of the Jewish Question – Karl Marx and Antisemitism.” Disegni analyzed the current situation in the Middle East, highlighting how the resurgence of antisemitism can be traced back to an essentially economic origin, tied to American imperialism, a dynamic in which Israel finds itself embroiled in conflict with some Middle Eastern countries.
Graziano Delrio, however, disagreed with Disegni’s approach. According to Delrio, antisemitism is not a phenomenon born of industrialization, but rather resembles a millennia-old “karst river” that periodically resurfaces. The real danger, according to the politician, lies in the silence of democratic culture and the Italian left: a lack of reaction that weakens the quality of civil coexistence and the very stability of democracy in the face of rapidly growing signs across Europe.
Piero Fassino echoed Delrio’s analysis, recalling the ancient roots of anti-Judaism. Fassino emphasized how the phenomenon of anti-Semitism, now joined by anti-Zionism, resurfaces cyclically in conjunction with major political, economic, and social crises.
According to Fassino, this trend is fueled by profound historical ignorance and a public information system that, often unchecked, disseminates inappropriate content. The solution, the former minister concluded, can only lie in “robust pedagogical action” and the widespread dissemination of culture at all levels of society.
The debate that followed the presentations was lively and insightful, with over 110 participants joining from across Italy. The discussion was coordinated with his usual effectiveness by Anavim Vice President Giuseppe Di Chio, who invited Livia Ottolenghi, the newly appointed President of the UCEI, to speak. She had followed the meeting from the beginning.
What emerged during the discussion among the participants raises further questions and raises new issues. The challenge now is twofold: on the one hand, to broaden and deepen theoretical reflections, and on the other—and above all—to find ways to translate these themes into concrete actions.

by Marta Morello