Italian news outlet The Post Internazionale published an analysis in October on the question of “why the pro-Palestinian movement has grown stronger in Italy since October 7.”
It cited a June Pew Research Center survey that found about 75% of Italians hold an unfavorable view of Israel, compared with 21% who hold a favorable view.
Citing a survey conducted shortly after the October 7 massacre, TPI showed how sharply views have shifted since then. In the earlier survey, 25% said they felt closer to Israel than to the Palestinians, 10% felt closer to the Palestinians, 30% named both, and 21% said neither.
TPI cited the war in Gaza, violent settler conflict in the West Bank, the invasion of southern Lebanon, and the war against Iran as causes of the deterioration of Israel’s image around the world.
Millions of people joined pro-Palestinian protests in 2025, with 300,000 attending a demonstration organized by left-wing organizations in Rome on June 7. Grassroots protests also sprang up in September and October, drawing people of varied demographic and political backgrounds.
Italy's cinemas packed with viewers of anti-Israel films
TPI noted that a “sense of revulsion” in Italy is “widely shared,” and that this sentiment is reflected in the country’s cinemas, with the film NAZA drawing 270,000 viewers in four days in Italy and grossing more than $2 million.
“The premiere of The Bibi Files, an investigative film banned in Israel that reconstructs the corruption investigations against Netanyahu, was also a resounding success,” TPI said.
Screenings in 130 theaters in Italy drew about 23,000 viewers in a single day, with only NAZA outperforming it. It was the first time in history that “two investigative documentaries occupied the top two spots at the Italian box office,” according to TPI. “These numbers confirm the continued high level of interest among Italians in the Israeli-Palestinian affair.”
Italians: Israel, Netanyahu a threat to world order, peace
“According to a survey conducted last July by the Ixè Institute, 39.7 percent of Italians believe that Israel, under Netanyahu, represents a ‘threat to world order and peace,’ a percentage nearly double that in January, when the award-winning firm Bibi & Donald had not yet declared war on Iran,” TPI said.
“The same survey also shows that 61.2 percent of those interviewed believe Italy should sever ties with Tel Aviv (34.4 percent are against, while 4.5 percent ‘don’t know’).”
“The severance of relations garners broad support across the political spectrum: 92 percent of left-wing voters are in favor, 85 percent of center-left voters are in favor, but support is also high among center-right and right-wing voters: 53 percent and 47 percent, respectively. Those who vote for the center are the most skeptical, although 43 percent of them support the severance of relations.”
Among 18- to 34-year-olds, 69% support ending relations with Israel, compared with 51% of those over 65.
TPI also noted that incidents of hatred and discrimination against Jews in Italy increased by 400% between 2022 and 2025, with 401 cases reported in the first half of 2026 alone.