“Preserve your tongue from evil” (Psalm 34:14).
There are moments when our words and actions become matters of responsibility. This is one of those moments. As Italian Jews, we see Israel as a democracy based on self-determination, security, and freedom, as outlined in its Declaration of Independence. For this reason, we feel a duty to reaffirm a principle that precedes any affiliation or political alignment: the dignity of every person and the value of human life must never be called into question.
Israel is not a state built against anyone. It is a state established to guarantee the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and security. Its Jewish identity does not preclude respect for other faiths, communities, and human beings. In fact, a democracy that is confident in its identity has no need to transform others into threats. There is a difference between firmness and dehumanization; between defending one’s convictions and denying the humanity of others. It is a line that words should never cross.
When public discourse crosses the boundaries of responsibility and respect for human dignity, we have a duty to clearly distance ourselves from it. This does not mean entering into Israel’s domestic political dynamics or taking sides in its internal political debates. It means affirming a moral principle that knows no borders. No cause justifies the dehumanization of another person. The words of public officials carry particular weight. They can reassure or fuel fear, heal or widen divisions, and preserve or erase a sense of limits. For this reason, they must be spoken with full awareness of the potential consequences.
Jewish history has taught us how quickly words can become stigmas and how exclusionary language can have profound consequences. Therefore, we cannot regard the escalation of rhetoric as inevitable, nor can we accept the normalization of extremism as merely a political tool—not in Israel and not in Italy. We cannot remain silent when words cross the boundaries of human dignity and respect.
In Italy, there is an additional responsibility. The media and public debate often oversimplify the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, isolating words from their context and reducing intricate situations to immediate, easily digestible formulas. This tendency neither justifies nor diminishes the responsibility of those who resort to dehumanizing language. Rather, it exacerbates the problem because such language enters a public debate that is already vulnerable to distortion. True strength, even in the most difficult moments, lies in defending one’s convictions while maintaining a sense of responsibility and human dignity.
Livia Ottolenghi, President of UCEI