The annual rally commemorating Italy’s liberation from Nazi-fascism on April 25 was marred by tensions and hostility toward Jewish representatives. Anti-Zionist and occasionally overtly antisemitic sentiments were voiced in the streets. In Milan, the Jewish Brigade-the Jewish volunteer corps of the British Army recruited in Mandatory Palestine, which played a pivotal role in liberating Italy-was insulted, threatened, and ultimately escorted out of the rally. In Rome, police arrested 21-year-old Eithan Bondi, who was accused of firing rubber pellets at two members of the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI) with an air gun during the Liberation Day march. Italian Jewish institutions firmly condemned all forms of violence. Davide Romano, the director of the Jewish Brigade Museum, denied that Bond\u00ec was part of the Jewish Brigade, despite initial reports to the contrary. Romano said he was “horrified” by what happened and condemned “anyone who uses the name of the Jewish Brigade to commit acts of violence.” Romano explained that exploiting the Jewish Brigade’s name “to justify and cover up violent behaviors is outrageous to its memory and to all those who sacrificed themselves under its flag.” “Violence has never been part of our values and will never be,” he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The detention of a young member of the Jewish Community of Rome for the events of April 25 fills us with dismay and indignation,” stated president Victor Fadlun in a note. He added that the Jewish Community “condemns and unequivocally distances itself from any form of anti-democratic violence\u201d and expressed “full solidarity and closeness to the injured.” Fadlun appealed to political leaders and civil society “to avoid any exploitation that could feed hatred and generate further violence.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) categorically rejected “any form of violence from whichever side” and reiterated “its proximity to the victims of the Rome attack and those who suffered violence, insults, and threats in various Italian cities on April 25. The UCEI denounced the linking of the alleged perpetrator\u2019s name to the Jewish Brigade and strongly condemned the recent atmosphere of violence and intolerance that “has replaced civil dialogue and freedom of expression. The UCEI “will follow the investigation’s progress with full trust in the institutions and police forces while firmly opposing those who endanger Italian Jews.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"