" Wasn't it the Italians? "
Yes ! of course it was, only they could administer Capital Punishment, which is your point I guess Simon.
The Gospel story of some religious Jews provoking the Roman Governor to execute him is no doubt total Fiction, and maybe was concocted to further counter the remaining influence of Jewish religious thought upon Christianity.
Sadly this evil bit of Fiction has provoked many murders and much evil persecution by "Christians" over the Centuries, when really the "guilty" ones were the ancestors of today's Garlic Smelling Pizza-munchers.(< I'm Joking !).
Of course, to persecute my Italian friends and relatives for something done by a Roman Governor and his soldiers 2000 years ago, none of whom may actually have been Italian ! would be ignorant, stupid and thoroughly evil. As is all Racism.