The Health and Legal Limits of the Anti-Israel Boycott of Sesto Fiorentino

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In Sesto Fiorentino, a worrying front has opened up that intertwines international politics and the management of local health services. The resolution of the municipal council that imposed on the eight municipal pharmacies, managed by Afs Spa, the suspension of the sale of pharmaceutical products, parapharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical equipment of Israeli origin , is an unprecedented act in the Italian panorama. It is the first case of formal application of the economic boycott against Israel by a public administration, with an impact on an essential service.

Mayor Lorenzo Falchi motivated his choice by referring to international developments , in particular the Israeli military action against Iran and the dramatic situation in the Gaza Strip. The mayor accused the Israeli government of pursuing a project of “ethnic substitution” that he defined as “inhuman and criminal”. The Sesto council has thus decided to act, not only by interrupting all institutional relations with Israeli representatives, but also by inviting the participating companies to follow the example of Afs Spa in boycotting the products of Israeli companies or those with Israeli capital.

But a decision of this magnitude, beyond legitimate political opinions, presents serious critical issues from both a technical and legal point of view . Even before a moral or political problem, in fact, we are faced with an institutional forcing that risks compromising the citizens' right to health , protected by Article 32 of the Constitution. He recalled this with Andrea Mandelli , president of the Federation of Italian Pharmacists' Orders (Fofi), underlining the illegitimacy of such marked political interference. "The mayor cannot insert himself into the sphere of the professional who decides what is the best path to follow for the citizen" , said Mandelli, reiterating that the technical management of the pharmacy is the exclusive responsibility of the pharmacist, not of the Municipality. "Mixing the right to health with international politics is a serious mistake" , he added, reporting that he has already received reports from doctors alarmed by the possible repercussions of this initiative on prescriptions and therapeutic continuity.

The regulatory profile makes the council's decision controversial. According to Royal Decree no. 1706 of 1938, pharmacists cannot refuse to sell the medicines they have in their possession, nor can they refuse to ship prescriptions for existing medicines . If a medicine is not available, it is their duty to obtain it as quickly as possible. It is clear, therefore, that the municipality's initiative clashes with a regulatory framework that does not allow exceptions for political reasons , much less for a service whose sole purpose is the protection of public health.

There is also a further element that should not be underestimated: the economic impact of the boycott . Israeli companies such as Teva, among the world's largest producers of generic drugs, are well-established in Italy. Teva Italia, for example, has a commercial headquarters in Assago (Milan) and four factories in Lombardy and Piedmont, employing approximately 1,400 workers. Its drugs, developed and produced in Italy, are part of the therapeutic daily routine of thousands of citizens. Excluding these products means hitting the national pharmaceutical industry, investments in research & development, as well as employment.

It is essential to underline that foreign policy decisions are up to the State, not the Municipalities . If each local administration began to carve out its own space for international action, a dangerous and incoherent institutional short circuit would be created. Unilaterally suspending trade agreements, filtering the availability of products in pharmacies based on the country of origin, replacing medicines without a shared clinical rationale, means distorting the role of the pharmacy as the first health facility in the territory. And above all, it means depriving citizens of the possibility of receiving the most suitable treatment, in the most timely and safe way, for reasons that have nothing to do with medicine.

The boycott carried out in Sesto Fiorentino is an emblematic case of how dangerous it can be to overlap political ideology and essential public services . We can – and must – discuss, demonstrate and criticize what happens in the world, but in compliance with the rules and not at the expense of people's health.

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