NEWS Italian government appoints national coordinator against anti-Semitism

By Pagine Ebraiche staff

The Italian government has appointed its first national coordinator in the fight against anti-Semitism: the selected official is Milena Santerini, professor of pedagogy at the Catholic University and vice president of the Shoah Memorial in Milan.

“From a personal point of view I am very honored and I feel a great responsibility. Anti-Semitism is not an issue just for some citizens but for the whole society, which must collectively choose whether to grow along the path of peaceful coexistence or whether to choose the path of exclusion and discrimination. Anti-Semitism therefore concerns the whole of Italy and we are in a particular moment in which we have been assisting in a growth of episodes of hatred,” she told Pagine Ebraiche.

“I thank the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, an organization with which there has long been a profitable exchange, for their great support. I also thank the Jewish Communities of Milan and Rome,” said Santerini.

UCEI President Noemi Di Segni has described her as an “authoritative figure” who has “engaged for years in this area” and “knows well the challenge that is before us, as well as the institutions with which we will work.”

With respect to the appointment, the UCEI president highlighted how “Italy is filling a significant gap by aligning itself with what has been done by Germany, France, the United Kingdom and other countries.”