A prestigious Italian pizza school has refused to accept a young Israeli chef to an eight-week professional training course, claiming he comes from a country that has been “illegally occupying Palestinian land for 80 years and committing genocide.” The academy said it supports Palestine and told the applicant that he, like all Israelis, “should be ashamed.”
Jonathan, 23, who asked that his full name not be published due to his service as a reservist in an elite IDF unit, is a professional chef and caterer. He has specialized in Neapolitan pizza for seven years, since his teens, and is deeply involved in the field. His dream was to study Roman-style pizza at a professional level. While researching leading institutions in Italy, Jonathan found what he described as the most highly recommended school in the field, the Pizza Italian Academy, known as PIA. The academy is headed by Italian businessman and entrepreneur Arturo Mazzao and offers an international pizza chef diploma recognized worldwide.
Jonathan contacted the academy via WhatsApp and asked to enroll. Once he mentioned that he was from Israel, the academy informed him that he would not be accepted. This is how the exchange unfolded:
Jonathan: “My name is Jonathan, I am 23 years old from Israel. I have been working with Neapolitan pizza since 2018. During my recent visits to Rome, I was exposed to Roman-style pizza and felt a strong connection to it. I am very interested in expanding my knowledge of Roman-style pizza, pizza al taglio, and bringing this style to Israel at a professional level. I would be happy to receive more details about your course.”
The pizza academy: “Thank you for your inquiry. At this time, we choose not to collaborate with individuals or organizations based in Israel, as our values align with support for Palestine.”
Jonathan: “Choosing to disqualify a professional candidate solely on the basis of nationality, while presenting yourselves as an institution of education and craft, says a lot. It is a shame. I have no interest in studying at an institution that replaces professionalism with ideological discrimination. Do not say we did not warn you about the bloodthirsty Palestinian people who murdered thousands of my brothers and sisters on our holiday morning, abducted and raped women and children. Take care of yourselves. I love the Italian people. The people of Israel live, and I am proud to be a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.”
The pizza academy: “If you are an IDF soldier, I am even prouder to exclude you and continue supporting Palestine. You have been illegally occupying Palestinian land for 80 years and committing genocide. You should be ashamed, like all your people, and the Italian government should also be ashamed for supporting Israel. The Italian government does not represent me. Free Palestine.”
Jonathan: “Your written statements constitute explicit discrimination based on nationality and collective attribution toward an entire people, in the context of denying access to a professional educational service. Such conduct may violate Italian anti-discrimination law and relevant European Union principles governing equal treatment. All correspondence has been preserved. A formal complaint and legal case are now prepared and being submitted to the relevant authorities for review. It is recommended that you refrain from further discriminatory or inflammatory communication. Jonathan. Be good people, that comes before politics.”
The pizza academy: “After the ceasefire, the Israeli army killed more than 100 children. You are disgusting. I discriminate against all IDF murderers like you. My moral code dictates this, and I want nothing to do with people who kill children and unarmed civilians for 80 years and steal their land. You can show these statements of mine to anyone you want. I am proud of what I write, and no law will change my mind. Those who kill children and illegally occupy another people’s land do not deserve respect.”
Jonathan: “Spread love, brother, it is free. Do not believe the news. Check your sources again.”
The pizza academy: “Spread love. Do not kill your Palestinian neighbors. Live peacefully in your home and leave those who are different from you alone.”
Jonathan: “It is easy to talk when you watch the news and do not live in a war zone. I invite you to be my guest in Israel, to experience life alongside Palestinians. I promise you that within a few hours, your opinion will change. If you take the time to study history, you will see that in all of Israel’s wars, Israel never initiated a war but acted in self-defense following Palestinian attacks. This is not my personal opinion. These are documented facts.”
Speaking to ynet, Jonathan said the academy’s response and refusal to accept him solely because he is Israeli shocked him. “Two of my closest friends from the army were murdered on October 7, and to read accusations that IDF soldiers are murderers is devastating,” he said. “The moment he heard I was Israeli, he saw black. I maintained a respectful dialogue and made it clear I had no interest in involving politics, but he kept writing false claims.” Jonathan said he filed complaints with the Israeli Embassy in Italy and with an Italian organization that combats discrimination based on nationality. He said he hopes the pizza academy will face consequences for its conduct. “My dream of studying there may have collapsed, but I will still go to Rome and study there,” he said.
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Giorgia Meloni, 'The Italian government should be ashamed of its support for Israel'
(Photo: Remo Casilli/ Reuters)
The Israeli Embassy in Rome said it intervened in the case, condemned the institution, offered legal guidance and is assisting Jonathan in finding an alternative place to study culinary arts.
In a response, the Italian pizza academy said it is a private institution that openly bases its activity on ethical and humanitarian values. “We wish to clarify our position transparently and clearly,” the academy said. “Our academy does not discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnic origin, and we make a clear distinction between Jewish identity and the policies of the State of Israel. We have no issue with people of the Jewish faith.”
The statement continued: “However, we openly support the Palestinian cause and the protection of the Palestinian civilian population, in light of what numerous international organizations, human rights groups and United Nations bodies have described as severe and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, including acts described by many observers as having the character of genocide.”
The academy noted that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has sought international arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over suspected crimes against humanity and war crimes, saying this context necessarily affects its institutional positioning. “For ethical reasons, we have decided not to collaborate with or admit for study individuals who are active members of the Israel Defense Forces or directly connected to military actors involved in the current conflict,” the statement said. “This decision is political and ethical in nature, not religious, and reflects our refusal to normalize or indirectly legitimize military actions that have led to widespread civilian suffering.”
The academy added that its admissions policy is based on values rather than citizenship and on maintaining an educational environment aligned with its declared humanitarian stance. “Finally, we emphasize that this position represents, in our view, a concrete way to express solidarity with thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, who have been killed, injured or displaced from their homes,” the statement said. “Our stance is intended as an expression of moral closeness to these victims, not hostility toward individuals based on identity or belief.”