The Ateneo Veneto, the oldest cultural institute in Venice, has longstanding ties of friendship and collaboration with the Jewish community. These ties deepen \u201cthe profound regret\u201d expressed by Dario Calimani, president of the Jewish community, upon learning of a conference scheduled for January 9 at the venue titled \u201cYou feel as if you were subhuman – The genocide of Israel against the Palestinian population in Gaza\u201d organized by Amnesty International. This \u201cprofound regret\u201d is articulated in a letter Calimani addressed to the president of the Ateneo Veneto, Antonella Magaraggia.
\nIn the letter, shared with Pagine Ebraiche, Calimani writes that \u201cone can hold widely divergent and opposing views about what is happening in Israel and Gaza,\u201d but it is another matter entirely \u201cto engage in Third-Worldist demagogic propaganda, using language akin to that of partisan cheering, without bothering to provide a comprehensive historical perspective on a tragedy involving all actors on the stage.\u201d Addressing the Middle Eastern context, Calimani accuses Amnesty International of having \u201calways maintained a very specific stance, continuing to use it as a platform to fuel further hatred with language that is certainly not that of proponents of justice and peace.\u201d
\nCalimani recounts receiving a response from Magaraggia, clarifying that the Ateneo had \u201conly\u201d made the room available, while the organization of the event was solely Amnesty International\u2019s responsibility. \u201cA disappointing response,\u201d Calimani calls it. \u201cHow is it possible that no discernment is made about the proposals, that no consideration is given to what is appropriate and what is not?\u201d he asks. \u201cBy acting as it has, the risk is that every topic appears acceptable. But that cannot be the case.\u201d<\/p>\n