Newspaper “Il Foglio” shows all its closeness to Israel

Thousands of lights lit up the night in front of the Arch of Titus in Rome, which was also shining with the colours of the flag of Israel. The solidarity initiative, launched Tuesday by the Italian daily newspaper “Il Foglio” and joined by the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – UCEI and the Jewish Community of Rome, came from the “will to speak out, unambiguously”, stressed the editor of the newspaper Claudio Cerasa. The action stood not only for Israel and its right to exist and thrive, but for the whole Western world and for its fundamental values. “These displays of closeness by all the components of the Italian society warm our hearts and show that Israel is not alone”, said the Israeli ambassador Alon Bar. “Those attacking children, women and elderly people are not fighters, but cowards”, pointed out Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, reiterating the commitment to “preserving Israel’s right to be on the maps”.
Not a single euro, continued the minister, “has to end up in the pockets of Hamas or of those backing it”. Tajani, who also condemned the “unacceptable scenes” of exultation that took place in Tehran, launched a renewed commitment of the government “to try and free the hostages” in the hands of the terrorists (possibly including an Italian-Israeli couple, still missing). “Were I a private citizen, I would be here anyway”, assured the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio. “Justice has always been present in the history of Israel and in the voices of its prophets. And, after the massacre in Munich in 1972, Golda Meir said that Israel has the power to achieve it. I hope things will go likewise, there will not be a second Masada”. The images of the atrocities carried out by Hamas “are everywhere in our brains: the question is – said the UCEI president Noemi Di Segni – what are we going to do with those images? Will we keep on looking the other way?”. Di Segni also appealed for the suspension of any funding to the international organisations bankrolling terror and contributing to the hatred of Israel. A frontier of the West has been violated, not only morally, but also physically. This is something every citizen of this country must be aware of”, pointed out the Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni. Until the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel in November 1947, Jews in Rome avoided passing under the Arch of Titus “in order not to feel ashamed for what had happened”, reminded Di Segni, recalling the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by Roman emperor Titus and his troops, celebrated by the monumental arch. “The reason why we are here, – he therefore declared – is to understand that the Jewish people have been through horrifying tragedies, but have always recovered from them”.

Photos: Priscilla Ruggiero @IlFoglio

Translation by Marta Gustinucci, revised by Klara Mattiussi, students at the Secondary School of Modern Languages for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, interns at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.