Members of the Jewish community in Rome gathered in Piazza Barberini to light the Hanukkah menorah there. The news of the bloodshed in Australia has had a strong impact on the mood of the Roman community during the holiday. The Italian interior minister has also said authorities have stepped up checks on Jewish neighborhoods, synagogues, cultural institutions and foreign missions.

Noemi Segni, president of the Union of Jewish Communities in Italy, expressed her deep shock and sadness at the terrorist attack on the Jewish community at Bondi Beach in Sydney. She expressed her condolences to the families of the victims, the injured, and the Australian Jewish community, reports Magyar Nemzet.

The Jewish leader told the press that he did not rule out that a similar attack could be carried out on members of the community in Europe or Italy.  She drew attention to the fact that anti-Semitism and hatred have reached unprecedented levels in Western countries. She reported that the anti-Israel demonstrations have desperately whipped up hatred of Jews and legitimized violence against members of the community. Segni added that the press also participated in the anti-Israel hate campaign, providing one-sided information about the war in Gaza. 

According to the president of the Jewish community, political leaders underestimate the anti-Semitic narrative, and the left has even made political capital out of the Palestinian cause. Segni painfully acknowledged that a possible terrorist attack could also take place in Italian cities. To prevent this, she called for the introduction of stricter measures not only in Italy, but also across Europe.

The Jewish leader stressed that their communities continue to stand for democratic values ​​and peaceful coexistence, despite the fact that hate speech and terrorism undermine peace. She stated that no matter where they live in the world, they will not give in to intimidation.

Viktor Fadlun, the president of the Jewish Community of Rome, has warned that there is a rampant anti-Jewish sentiment not only in Australia but also in Italy, all of which is the result of what he calls Palestinian propaganda. 

He warned that anti-Semitism used for political purposes will sooner or later lead to bloodshed and violence. The leader of the Jewish community stressed that an attack has been launched against democracy and Jewish-Christian roots, which should not be ignored. His group is calling on the government to introduce strict sanctions to punish anti-Semitic acts. 

According to the Italian Jewish Youth Association, the terrorist attack on Hanukkah has a strong message. Lighting the lights is not a private gesture, but a visible sign of identity and freedom. The attack, carried out at the beginning of Hanukkah, sends a message that Jews do not have the right to live and practice their religion openly, without hiding.

The massacre in Sydney is proof of what happens when the warning signs of anti-Semitism are ignored or tolerated in a society, the group declares. If they are not punished and condemned firmly, hate speech, distorted narratives and prejudice become accepted, and a climate is created in which violence easily spreads. The Jewish youth group emphasizes that the fight against hatred is not only the fight of the Jewish community, but a collective responsibility.

Edit Burke, a Jewish writer of Hungarian origin and Holocaust survivor, told the press that she does not believe that the dark ages of Jewish persecution will return, but she does believe that anti-Semitism will remain forever.

The Israeli ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, posted on X: “In confirming, unfortunately, that, at this moment, in Italy – as in many other parts of Europe and the world – the Jewish community lives in a condition of insecurity, I wish to express sincere thanks to the Government and Italian institutions – in particular to all the law enforcement agencies – for the daily work they carry out to ensure the protection of Jewish and Israeli targets. A difficult job, which often takes place in complex conditions.”