“To map Zionist tourism”: the anti-Israeli initiative that is causing an uproar in Italy

A political and public protest broke out in Italy in recent days after an online document circulated on social media called for maps of “Zionist tourism” in the Land of the Boot, as reported today (Monday) in the country’s media.

The president of the Jewish community in Rome, Victor Fedalon, attacked the initiative and said that it was a “negation of basic human rights, of humanity itself and of the constitutional principles on which the Italian Republic was founded.” According to him, “the idea is simply abominable, and should be perceived by every person, every political force and every social group in our country, as a denial of basic human rights.”

Padlon added that the Jewish community is following with concern what has been described as a “real manhunt”. “People are marked, exposed and tarnished just because of their Jewish identity or their alleged ties to Israel. We renew our warning against the anti-Jewish trend in our country as well, and call on the authorities and civil society to remain vigilant.”

Politicians from the “Brothers of Italy” party also condemned the initiative and claimed that it arouses anger and concern: “This is a despicable initiative born of the last wave of anti-Semitic hatred that is poorly disguised as anti-Zionist hatred, but this is unacceptable racism. It is impossible to remain indifferent in the face of acts that remind us of the worst years of the last century.”

The Kadima Italia party (Force Italia) also attacked sharply: “The distribution of mapping of Israeli citizens, members of the Jewish community and businesses related to them is a disturbing and unprecedented fact that recalls dark days in history.”

Last April, an uproar erupted in Spain, after a controversial digital platform called BarcelonaZ mapped Jewish-owned businesses, Israeli companies and multinational corporations with ties to Israel throughout Catalonia. The updated map, republished in February 2026, catalogs dozens of entities, from global corporations to small local businesses, under categories ranging from diplomacy and finance to food and tourism. The creators of the map, who remain anonymous and describe themselves as a collective of “researchers, journalists and students”, claim that the purpose of the project is to expose economic ties to Israel and what they call “genocide” in Gaza.