By Elisa Garfagna
Yesterday, Italy celebrated with relief and joy the news of journalist and podcaster Cecilia Sala’s release. Detained unjustly by the Iranian regime in Tehran, her liberation marked a victory for press freedom and human rights. However, this triumph was overshadowed by a wave of antisemitic comments on social media, particularly on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
Some users speculated that Sala’s swift release was due to alleged Jewish roots within her family, making insinuations about her parents’ professions in finance. These baseless claims were accompanied by memes and images echoing the worst of Nazi-fascist propaganda, targeting her physical appearance, especially her nose, described as “hooked” or “Etruscan.” Such language is not only offensive but revives historical wounds many believed were left behind.
These sentiments are neither isolated nor harmless. They reflect an alarming resurgence of antisemitic stereotypes, gaining traction in Italy and across Europe. As Holocaust survivor Primo Levi wrote: “Every age has its own fascism. It arrives in many ways, not necessarily with truncheons and castor oil; the power of a few to silence others and suppress the desire for inquiry suffices.” Today, the power of the few manifests in the distortion of public discourse, where hatred and discrimination are disguised as legitimate opinions and “freedom of speech”—no matter the cost to communities like the Jewish one.
Antisemitism is never just an attack on Jewish people; it’s an assault on the fundamental values of equality and justice. As Holocaust survivor and writer Elie Wiesel stated: “Hatred, once it takes root, does not stop with the Jews. It spreads like poison in all directions.”
The stereotype of the “hooked nose” is absurd. Countless individuals, Jewish or not, with similar physical traits, could face insults or aggression simply for not conforming to so-called “Aryan” standards of perfection. Indeed, such imagery and caricatures strongly evoke the propaganda used by some of the most brutal totalitarian regimes in history.
The hateful images and comments on social media are not merely a matter of “digital misconduct”; they are symptoms of a deeper societal problem that demands immediate and relentless action. Every time we allow such narratives to flourish, we betray the lessons of history and condemn parts of our society to live in fear.
It is our duty as citizens and human beings to oppose this degradation. Combating antisemitism, educating against prejudice, and protecting its victims are essential responsibilities.
“The world is not saved by grand ideas, but by small acts of daily responsibility,” said Jewish philosopher Martin Buber.
And perhaps, as I would add, with a touch of courage.