MILAN – Jewish Community leaders and Mayor get to talk

Following October 7 and the war in Gaza, the tension rose between Milan’s mayorGiuseppe Sala and the leadership of the Jewish community. These issues were addressed in a meeting at Palazzo Marino, Milan’s city hall. Participating in the meeting were the president of the Jewish Community, Walker Meghnagi; the vice president, Ilan Boni; the vice president of UCEI, Milo Hasbani; and the president of the Shoah Memorial Foundation, Roberto Jarach. “The meeting with Mayor Beppe Sala went very well,” Meghnagi said at the end of the meeting. “We clarified the reasons of both Israel and ourselves as Italian Jews concerned about the increase in antisemitic attacks. It was a frank discussion, and an important moment of clarification.” Hasbani added, “We reminded the mayor that we are part of the city’s fabric and emphasized the need to lower the tones because we are the first to be affected by this situation, as the rise of antisemitism confirms.” “The mayor listened carefully to our concerns. We also reiterated the importance of strongly demanding the release of the hostages and acknowledging that Hamas must be eliminated for the good of the Palestinians.”

(Palazzo Marino, in the picture, is the seat of Milan’s city hall)