Overview

• Nuova Fiera del Levante said Israel will not be allowed to take part in the 13-21 September edition, covering both institutional and commercial participation.
• In a statement, the fair said it is taking a “netta presa di distanza” from “atrocities of the ongoing genocide” in Gaza and is promoting a 2025 Nobel Peace Prize nomination for the children of Gaza.
• The decision follows a Bari city council order and a formal appeal by Mayor Vito Leccese to bar Israel from activities on the fairgrounds.
• National reaction intensified, with center-right figures, including Forza Italia’s Maurizio Gasparri, calling the move antisemitic.
• Leccese rejected the charge and cited the fair’s ethical code, saying the measure is not against Israelis, while Israel’s embassy warned the ban could harm longstanding water-technology cooperation with Puglia.