Jewish group in Italy slams boycott initiative of Jewish-owned shops

A group that hunts Nazis and fights anti-Semitism urged Italy on Friday to prosecute leaders of a small union pushing for a boycott of Jewish-owned shops in Rome to protest Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Meanwhile, banners signed by a neo-fascist group were hung up in the Italian capital denouncing Mayor Gianni Alemanno for condemning the boycott. Alemanno, a right-wing politician, had gone shopping on Thursday in a Jewish-owned clothing store to show his opposition to the boycott.

Politicians and mainstream unions also condemned the boycott announced by the FLAICA-CUB group, which claims to represent thousands of workers in shops and malls.

While praising the mayor's strong reaction, Shimon Samuels of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Paris wrote in a letter to Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi saying the union should be prosecuted for inciting racism, intimidation and other crimes.

"A campaign to boycott Italian Jews would be a clear repetition of Benito Mussolini's measures," wrote Samuels, referring to the anti-Semitic laws passed in 1938 during the fascist leader's regime.

Rome's Jewish Community has also said it would take legal action. Italy has laws banning discrimination.

The ANSA news agency reported police on Friday seized banners hung up in the north of Rome that contained insults against Jewish leaders and called Alemanno a Zionist executioner.

On Thursday the FLAICA-CUB union called in a statement for a boycott of businesses linked to the Roman Jewish Community. It suggested shoppers should focus the protest on clothing stores, many of which are traditionally owned by members of the capital's small Jewish community.

Since Israel began its offensive in December, anti-Semitic acts have increased across Europe and attacks have been reported against Jews and synagogues in France, Sweden and Britain.