Italy's main opposition group, the Democratic Party, stayed away from a parliamentary committee vote held on Wednesday on a disputed antisemitism bill, Reuters reported. The abstention brought into focus rifts within the left over a measure viewed as potentially narrowing the room to criticize Israel.
A source within the PD said the party regarded the definition of antisemitism contained in the text as "divisive" and pressed the right-wing governing coalition that backs the bill to revise the wording. According to Reuters, that request is unlikely to be granted.
Divisive — a PD source's description of the definition of antisemitism included in the bill, as reported by Reuters.
