A political storm has erupted in Italy after Family Minister Eugenia Roccella said that school trips to Auschwitz have been used to portray antisemitism as “a purely fascist issue,” adding that today’s challenge is to confront “our own antisemitism.”

The remarks, made during a conference of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) in Rome, drew harsh criticism from Senator Liliana Segre, who reminded that “the extermination was carried out by the Axis powers, with the zealous collaboration of local fascists, including Italians.”

Opposition leaders were quick to condemn Roccella’s comments. Elly Schlein urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to distance herself from the minister’s words, while Matteo Renzi, Riccardo Magi, Angelo Bonelli, and Annalaura Orrico called her statements “offensive” and “disturbing.”

Roccella later clarified her position, calling Auschwitz trips “fundamental” but accusing the “hypocritical left” of ignoring modern antisemitism. In a subsequent note, she reiterated her “friendship with Israel and the Jewish people” and said she would appear before the Segre Commission to clarify her remarks.