Israel and the Italian Communist Party (1948-2015): From fondness to enmity

[en] Based on a wide array of archival sources of the Communist Party of Italy (PCI), the article explores the historical relationship between the Party, Israel and the Jew and focuses on the real motivations behind the current divide between Israel and the European (Communist or former Communist) Left. The articles argues that Communism for Israel has not been lost for the presumed discriminatory attitude of the Jews in the Communist world, nor for historical growing Communist support of Palestinian guerrilla groups, but because of the increasing militarism and nationalism of the Zionist Left and the erosion of Communist and pacifist ideals.

Disciplines :

History

Author, co-author :

DE MARTINO, Claudia ; University of Luxembourg > Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH) > Contemporary History of Luxembourg

External co-authors :

Language :

English

Title :

Israel and the Italian Communist Party (1948-2015): From fondness to enmity

Publication date :

December 2015

Journal title :

Communist and Post-Communist Studies

ISSN :

0967-067X

Publisher :

Elsevier Ltd

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

281 - 290

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0967067X15000318?httpAccept=text/xml

Available on ORBilu :

since 04 February 2026

Statistics

Number of views

2 (0 by Unilu)

Number of downloads

0 (0 by Unilu)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

OpenAlex citations

WoS citations^™

Bibliography

Accorsi A., Ferro D. Gli attentati e le stragi che sconvolsero l'Italia, Atti terroristici, omicidi politici ed agguati di Mafia, dall'eccidio di Bronte alla scuola di Brindisi 2013, Newton, Roma.
Agosti G. Dopo il tempo del furore, Diario 1944-88 2005, Einaudi, Torino.
Archivio Pietro Secchia, Notebook no.10, Feltrinelli, Milano.
Ascoli Report [manuscript] APCI Series No. 552, File1887-1890 1968, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
Berlinguer A Conversation with Berlinguer. "La Sinistra verso il Duemila", L'Unità, 18 December 1983, APCI, file 555, 206, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
Chiarini R. L'antisionismo e l'estrema destra italiana. Nuova Storia Contemp. 2006, 10(3):5-15. [e-journal] accessed in 2012.
Corm G. Le Proche Orient éclate 2012, La Découverte, Paris.
Fassino P. Israele 1991. L'Unità, 23 January 23 1991.
Di Figlia M. Israele e la Sinistra 2012, Donzelli Editore, Roma.
Gerlini M. Le radici dell'eurosocialismo mediterraneo. Il Mediterraneo attuale tra storia e politica 2012, Marsilio, Venezia. E. Di Nolfo, M. Gerlini (Eds.).
Givet J. La gauche contre Israel, Essai sur le néo-antisémitisme 1968, J. Pauvert, The Netherlands.
Laor Y. Filosemitismo, Il nuovo filosemitismo europeo e il campo della pace in Israele 2008, Le Nuove Muse, Torino.
Ledda R. Interview to Yasser Arafat, L'Unità, 13 September 1970.
Lerner G. Scintille. Storie di anime vagabonde 2009, Feltrinelli, Milano.
Lordi S., Giuseppetti A. Fiumicino 17 dicembre 1973. La strage di Settembre Nero, Rubbettino, Saveria Mannelli 2010.
Luzzato A. Delusioni e speranze 1949, Israel- 24 February.
Marzano A., Schwarz G. Conflitto mediorientale, dialettica politica e «questione ebraica» in Italia 2012, Brossura, Sonzogno.
Merhav P. La Gauche israelienne: Histoire, Problemes et Tendances du Mouvement ouvrier israelien 1973, Anthropos, Paris.
Napolitano G. Dal PCI al socialismo europeo, Un'autobiografia politica 2005, Laterza, Bari.
Pajetta G. Parliamentary Debates, July 14 1967, [manuscript] APCI, AP, CD, file 3666, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
PCI communiqué on the Middle East Crisis L'Unità. 8 September 1956.
PCI minutes Letter by E.L. Finger, Resident in Hayarkon (TA), 29 Jun. 1971, [manuscript] APCI series, file 0163, sheet 0528, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
PCI minutes Letter by Frums Gurwitz, Resident of Kibbutz Lohamei ha-Geta'ot 1971, 18 Jan., [manuscript] APCI series, file 0163, sheet 0387, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
PCI minutes Letter by Emanuel Litvinoff Addressed to the Party Secretariat Longo 1971, 8 Nov., [manuscript] APCI series, file 0163, sheet 0538, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
PCI minutes Meeting between Salati (PCI Representative) and Arafat in Bayreuth, 15 February [manuscript] APCI Series, File 078, Sheet 731 1974, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
PCI Secretariat 12 February. APCI Series, File 24 1960, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
PCI minutes Paolo Bufalini, 1st Commission on Disarmament and Détente 1983, April 21, file 555, sheet 845.
PCI minutes 5th Meeting of progressive Judaism 1982, Report of Janicki Cingoli, Secretary of the Communist group at the European Parliament, April 24-25, Paris, file 512, sheet 1443.
PCI Steering Committee 13 June. [manuscript] APCI Series, File 2525 1967, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
Polito E. Milizia, magia, eroismo di Wael Zuaiter, Liberazione, 16 October 1992.
Ranieri U. Dal PCI ai DS, la posizione su Israele. 2006, La Sinistra e Israele 2006, Belforte, Livorno, Livorno. V.V. AA (Ed.).
Riccardi L. Diplomazia italiana e PCI di fronte allo Stato ebraico, 1948-73 2006, Guerrini Studio, Milano.
Rodinson M. Israël: fait colonial?. Les Temps Modernes 1967, 17-88. [e-journal] 253/bis accessed in 2013.
Rossanda R. A proposito di antisemitismo 2003, Il Manifesto, 2 February.
Rubbi A. Con Arafat in Palestina, La sinistra e la questione palestinese 1996, Editori Riuniti, Roma.
Salerno E. Mossad base Italia (Mossad Italy-based) 2010, Il Saggiatore, Milano.
Segre V. Note to the Secretariat 1971, [manuscript] APCI, file 309, sheet 397, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
Della Seta Lo Stato degli ebrei nel mondo, L'Unità, 14 June 1967, APCI, file 890, 1968, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
Shlaim A. Israel between East and West. International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 2004, 36(4):657-673. [e-journal] accessed in 2013.
Spinelli B. Ebraismo senza mea culpa 2001, La Stampa, 28 October 28.
Terracini U. Intervention in the Steering Committee, 13 June 1967, [manuscript] APCI series; file 620, Gramsci Foundation, Rome.
Valabrega G. Private Letter to His Family, April 19 1953, [manuscript] Series Valabrega (Fgv), b.12, n.28, AINSMLI, Milano.
Wistrich R.S. The Left against Zion: Communism, Israel and the Middle East 1979, Mitchell&Co, London.
PCI's editorial On the Middle East Crisis, L'Unità, 8 September 1956.
Peretz M. Storia del movimento operaio in Israele, 1905-1970 1974, La Nuova Italia (first printed in 1967, Tel Aviv, Hebrew).